Luke Donald said he was delighted Jon Rahm would be available for Ryder Cup selection after the Spaniard settled his dispute with the DP World Tour, ending doubts over whether he could play for Europe at Adare Manor in 2027.
Rahm struck a deal with the tour earlier this month that allowed him to retain his membership and secured his eligibility for Europe’s trip to Limerick from 17-19 September 2027. Donald said the news mattered because Rahm has proved his value in the match, adding that the former world number one has played four Ryder Cups and done extremely well.
The timing matters because Rahm had looked set to be ineligible for the contest in Ireland after his involvement with LIV Golf events without official permission since joining the breakaway circuit in 2024. He initially declined an offer from the DP World Tour over conditional releases to play in conflicting tournaments during the 2026 season, and in March accused the European-based tour of extorting players.
Donald’s response was measured and direct. “It’s not my job to tell Jon what to do, but [I’m] delighted that a resolution has happened and that he’s available [for] the Ryder Cup team,” he said before the opening round of the US PGA Championship in Pennsylvania. He also said he had “no real qualms or issues that the team room won’t be unified,” and compared the atmosphere to brothers who fight but still share the same mission.
That mission has usually suited Rahm. Since making his debut at Le Golf National in 2018, he has collected 10½ points, been part of a winning team on three out of four occasions and posted a maximum six points from six matches in foursomes. He was Europe’s top points scorer in the 19-9 defeat at Whistling Straits in 2021, then became a key figure in Donald’s winning side in Rome in 2023 before featuring again in New York last September.
Donald, who will become the first European to serve three consecutive terms at the helm since Bernard Gallacher, said the team knows what is required when the Ryder Cup arrives. Gallacher led Europe from 1991 to 1995, producing one win and two defeats, while Europe have not lost on home soil since The Belfry in 1993.
With Rahm now cleared and Donald sounding confident about the dressing room, Europe head toward 2027 with one of its most reliable points scorers back in the picture. The unresolved question is not whether Rahm belongs in the conversation, but how much more he can add if he gets the call for Adare Manor.
