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Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has warned Tyrrell Hatton and Jon Rahm that Team Europe’s rules around LIV Golf players will not change to help them play in New York next year.
Hatton was a part of Europe’s winning side under Donald in Rome last year before joining LIV and won his first event on the Saudi-funded breakaway in Nashville in June.
In order to remain eligible for next year’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, Hatton has to play in four regular DP World Tour events this season, and will tee it up at this week’s British Open at The Belfry after lodging an appeal against the sanctions imposed for playing LIV events without a release from the Tour.
It is understood Hatton has served the required suspensions and payment of any fines is stayed until the outcome of his appeal.
“Look, I am excited to have as many players as I can to choose from and to be eligible and I am glad that Tyrrell is playing this week,” Donald said at The Belfry. “He’s obviously done everything he needed to do as per the DP World Tour policy and I hope he can be one of the guys I can look for next year as someone that is eligible.”
Hatton’s Legion XIII team-mate Jon Rahm is also intending to play enough tournaments to keep his membership and Donald added: “I’ve had many conversations with Jon. He absolutely knows what the deal is. Nothing has changed from last year. I think he knew when he signed for LIV what the policies were on the DP World Tour. You have to play your four.
“Per all the policies, he can pay the fines or he can appeal like some of the guys have and that gives him the opportunity to do that. He knows that. It’s really up to him to do that and I hope very much that he wants to do that and become eligible.
“He certainly mentioned at the PGA Championship (in May) that he was willing to do whatever it took to commit to me and the team. Again, I hope that happens.”
Players who initially joined LIV in 2022 appealed against their sanctions and were able to compete until April 2023 when an arbitration panel found in favour of the DP World Tour and ratified its right to enforce its regulations.
A spokesperson for the DP World Tour said: “Tyrrell has a pending appeal against sanctions imposed on him for breaching the DP World Tour’s Conflicting Tournament Regulation and, in accordance with the DP World Tour’s Regulations, he is eligible to participate in the Betfred British Masters.”
Additional reporting by PA
