Rory McIlroy told ‘it’s not the same’ after he made £4m demand to Ryder Cup duo

Rory McIlroy’s demand to two of his Ryder Cup teammates has been questioned

Rory McIlroy has been told “it’s not same” after he urged Ryder Cup teammates Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton to pay fines totalling £4million. The pair were sanctioned for playing in LIV Golf events while still members of the DP World Tour, though they appealed and their cases have yet to be resolved.

That allowed them to be eligible for Europe’s Ryder Cup team, for whom they both put in a strong showing as Luke Donald’s side claimed a famous victory at Bethpage Black last year. It was at that tournament that a patriotic European team said they would pay to play, rather than be paid as their United States counterparts were, receiving £373,000 each.

England’s Hatton and Spaniard Rahm, who are teammates on the Legion XIII team, will need their case to be resolved successfully in order to be selected for the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland. McIlroy says there is an easy way to do it.

Asked at a press conference ahead of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic whether things would be easier if the pair just paid their fines, he replied: “Absolutely, yeah.

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“We went really hard on the Americans about being paid to play the Ryder Cup and we also said that we would pay to play in Ryder Cups. There are two guys that can prove it.”

However, Sky Sports golf pundit, presenter and former professional Rob Lee has argued Ryder Cup appearance fees and DP World Tour fines are separate matters and cannot be compared.

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Speaking on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, he said: “It’s a slightly different thing because the Americans got paid for being in the Ryder Cup. This is a fines situation, trying to clear the decks.”

However, Lee agreed that Hatton and Rahm should pay their fines to avoid the matter dragging on. He added: “I think the way out of it is Jon and Tyrrell settle themselves, square themselves off and we go from there.

“I don’t think that’s the same thing as the Americans getting paid. It’s a completely different thing. But it would seem the time has come to take care of this thing. They must be sick of it, they must be fed up of it, Jon Rahm and Tyrell Hatton, this thing hanging over them.

“It’s been in arbitration, it’s sitting there like the elephant in the room. Surely you just want to get past that and move forward. That has to happen in somewhere, unless there’s a mechanism for kicking the can down the road even further.”

However, Rahm has indicated he has no intention of paying his fine. Hatton is believed to be more open to settling up financially, although he gave no update on the situation when quizzed last week.

Earlier this week, Patrick Reed confirmed he was leaving LIV Golf to return to the PGA Tour. The 35-year-old, who joined LIV Golf in 2022, follows American compatriot Brooks Koepka in departing the lucrative Saudi Arabia-backed series.