It is hard to know where the DP World Tour goes from here after Europe’s victory at the 2025 Ryder Cup, with Luke Donald becoming only their second captain to oversee victories in successive events.
Europe’s 2025 victory at Bethpage was particularly satisfying because of how long it had been since an away side had managed to win the Ryder Cup.
The team need to avoid falling into the same trap some on the American side may have been caught out by after their landslide victory at Whistling Straits in 2021.
It is time for the DP World Tour to begin a new chapter – and take a controversial decision that is probably going to upset a lot of their members.
As things stand, there are doubts over the Ryder Cup futures of Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton. The pair have appealed the fines they have received from the DP World Tour for playing in LIV Golf events.
The case was set to be heard after the Ryder Cup. But it is expected that their appeal will be unsuccessful.
Time for the DP World Tour to waive fines with Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton’s appeals set to be heard
The problem is that Rahm has confirmed that he has no intention to pay the fines, with LIV also set to stop paying them for their players after this year. With that, there is a possibility that he decides to re-sign his membership, just as the likes of Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter have done.
Perhaps his stance will change once the time comes. Rahm will be absolutely desperate to continue playing in the Ryder Cup.
He may be confident that he can dig his heels in. It definitely did appear that Team Europe were prepared to change their qualification rules to help ensure that Rahm could make the team for 2025, with his defection coming just months after their triumph in Rome.
But the time may have come for the DP World Tour to extend an olive branch to those who did make the jump – and waive the fines a number of players are due to pay.
It will not be a popular move. The Telegraph reported earlier this year that an insider said there would be ‘outrage’ if the DP World Tour opened the door for those who turned their back on them to join LIV.
It is most certainly a risk.
The DP World Tour needed to make a move to LIV Golf as undesirable as possible. And opening up that pathway again will inevitably encourage some players to join LIV.
There will also be a lot of frustration among the players who rejected the breakaway league.
That anger is more than understandable. LIV is struggling for momentum. It is a poor product which has failed to sign a superstar in nearly two years.
But the DP World Tour does not appear to have massively benefitted from their deal with the PGA Tour either. They see their 10 best players receive cards Stateside each year.
Jordan Smith was the highest ranked player in the 2024 Race to Dubai who missed out on receiving a PGA Tour card. He finished 19th in the standings.
It is simply not sustainable if your top 18 players from the previous season get the opportunity to play full-time elsewhere every single year. Marco Penge has already confirmed he plans to play on the PGA Tour in 2026 after winning three times this season.
The LIV Golf stars who could still help the DP World Tour
Obviously, the likes of Westwood, Poulter, Sergio García, Martin Kaymer, and Graeme McDowell are past their peaks. But the quintet were all part of the European side which won at Medinah in 2012. They are legendary names who would help out the DP World Tour if they were playing again.
It would also be a big boost to the European Ryder Cup team to have those names back in the fold, even if their days of playing in the event are done. And there is no better time to make the change with planning for Adare Manor probably yet to get underway.
The DP World Tour is in something of a no-win position whatever decision it makes.
The deal with the PGA Tour made a lot of sense. And it is a good time to be working with the PGA Tour. They have started to thrive again after seeing LIV turn the golfing world upside down.
But the strategic alliance seems to have handed a lot of power to those who are most concerned with what is best for the PGA Tour.
Those at Wentworth do not need to jump from that into a deal with LIV. However, if there is a way to waive most of the fines for the players who left, the DP World Tour needs to look to do it soon.
It will not only ensure that Rahm and Hatton are around for 2027. But it would also strengthen the tour at a number of events throughout the year.
Unfortunately, many would understandably view the decision as a victory for LIV. A victory the league really does not deserve.
But it is time for the DP World Tour to prioritise what is the best decision for their long-term future, even if that means opening up a pathway plenty of members want nothing to do with.
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