No reprieve for Rahm as DP World Tour grants eight LIV players releases to play conflicting events
Tom McKibbin and Ryder Cup star Tyrrell Hatton are among the eight players granted conditional releases to play in conflicting tournaments on LIV Golf during the 2026 season but there is no reprieve yet for Spain’s Jon Rahm.
The two-time Irish Open champion has said he has “no intention” of paying his fines and is not on a list that also includes Laurie Canter, Thomas Detry, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, David Puig and Elvis Smylie.
If he remains outside the fold, the former US Open champion could become ineligible to play for Europe in next year’s Ryder Cup at Adare Manor.
In a statement, the DP World Tour said that “each member has accepted the conditions specified by the DP World Tour for their release, which include the payment in full of all outstanding fines for breaches of the DP World Tour’s Regulations, participation in additional stipulated DP World Tour tournaments, as well as associated media activity and promotion and the withdrawal of all pending appeals.
“The conditions these members have accepted will provide additional value to the DP World Tour and benefit to the entire membership.
“Provided each member satisfies the conditions of their individual releases, no disciplinary action under the Regulations will be taken against them for playing in conflicting tournaments on LIV Golf in 2026 and they will retain their membership status.
“The releases apply for the 2026 season only and they are not precedent-setting.
“Requests for releases will continue to be considered on their individual merits in accordance with the Regulations that all members agree to abide by.”
Meanwhile, Kilkenny’s Mark Power fired a four under 66 in the third round of the Magical Kenya Open to move up to joint 12th heading into the final round.
The former Walker Cup star (25) made six birdies and two bogeys at Karen Country Club in Nairobi and trails Spain’s Angel Ayora and South Africa’s Casey Jarvis by five strokes.
Ayora shot a bogey-free 64 and Jarvis a 66 to lead by one stroke on 17-under from American Davis Bryant and South Africa’s Hennie du Plessis.
At the Honda LPGA Thailand, Leona Maguire shot a five under 67 at Siam Country Club to move up to joint 22nd with a round to play.
She made an eagle, four birdies and one bogey but trails the leader, word number one Jenno Thitikul, by ten strokes.
The Thai star shot a six under 66 to lead by two shots on 20 under from Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim.
Meanwhile, the third round of the 2026 Jonsson Workwear Durban Open was cancelled due to a flooded course at Durban Country Club.
Heavy overnight rain on South Africa’s east coast left large parts of the course unplayable and, after a seven-and-a-half-hour delay, the decision was made to cancel play without a shot being hit.
The tournament will be reduced to 54 holes with 18 holes being played on Sunday, with play getting under way at 6:20am local time.
Chris Wallace, Tournament Director: “It’s always frustrating when you have to cancel a day’s play. Mother nature didn’t do us any favours last night with over 100 millilitres of rainfall and like the situation last time we were in Durban for the South African Open, we had several holes that were underwater.
“The grounds crews have been working all morning but unfortunately, we do not have a playable golf course at the minute. We’d gone through several scenarios and looked at shortening several holes, but it hasn’t come to fruition unfortunately.
“We are going to play 18 holes tomorrow, weather permitting. The grounds crews have been incredible all morning and can’t speak highly enough of the efforts that have been made this morning. To get 54 holes in tomorrow would be an absolute credit to them.”
Galway’s Liam Nolan shares 28th on five under, eight shots behind Sweden’s Christofer Blomstrand and Spain’s Santiago Tarrio.
West Waterford’s Gary Hurley was 54th on three under par.
