Rory McIlroy says it's a shame Jon Rahm refused to accept the "pretty generous" deal offered to him by the DP World Tour, but insists the Ryder Cup is "bigger than any one person".
Eight players including Rahm's LIV Golf teammates Tyrrell Hatton and Tom McKibbin signed the deal to restore DP World Tour membership - which included paying all fines, dropping their appeals and playing extra events specified by the Tour.
Rahm though refused to sign and accused the DP World Tour of "extorting" the players - saying his refusal was mainly down to being told to play six events rather than the usual minimum four needed for membership.
McIlroy doesn't agree though, and says compared to Brooks Koepka's return to the PGA Tour the deal for the European players offered by the DP World Tour is a good one.
"In my opinion, it's a really generous deal," said McIlroy ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
"It's a much softer deal than what Brooks took to come back and play on the PGA Tour. The European Tour can only do so much to accommodate these guys.
"Look, there's a reason eight of the nine guys took that deal, right. I think it's a really good deal. Obviously Jon doesn't think so, and he's obviously well within his rights to think that way.
"If you asked any DP World Tour member about the deal that they have cut with the LIV guys I think they would all say that it was pretty generous. So, and again, there's a reason that eight of the nine took it, because they probably think the same thing, and one guy thinks a little differently, and that's a shame.
"But I just don't see what more the European Tour can do to accommodate these guys to retain their membership."
Rahm should just play six events
Rahm said he would "sign tonight" if he only had to play four DP World Tour events and not six - and being told which two extra ones to play was the main sticking point with the Spaniard.
McIlroy argues playing two extra events "isn't a heavy lift" for Rahm, even if the Tour does have a say in what those two events are - likening it to being contracted to play all 14 events under his LIV Golf deal.
"But I mean, I'm sure Jon doesn't want to go to South Africa (for LIV Golf) next week, but he's going there," McIlroy added.
"He signed a contract for LIV and he plays 14 events and the whole thing. Like I get all that. But the DP World Tour is well within its rights to protect itself as a members organization and as a business."
Ryder Cup bigger than one player
As for perhaps the biggest ramification of the whole saga - the Ryder Cup - returning European captain Luke Donald would be loathed to be without Rahm for Adare Manor next year.
McIlroy and Rahm have traded opinion on this subject, with the Northern Irishman saying LIV golfers should be willing to do what it takes to get on the team - including paying their fines to resume DP World Tour membership.
Rahm's continued case put his eligibility in doubt as Donald looks for a third straight win as captain, but McIlroy insists the Ryder Cup is bigger than any one player.
"Look, the Ryder Cup is bigger than any one person," said McIlroy. "It's bigger than all of us. We come and go. Players are - we pass through the system. Like, it's the platform that's the big thing.
"I think we should all be grateful that we have a platform like the Ryder Cup that we can play on and that we can showcase our skills and be a part of something that's obviously way bigger than ourselves.
"So at the end of the day it's about the team and no one player is bigger than the team."
