Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm competed for Team Europe in this year’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. As Rahm’s future appearance in the biennial men’s golf tournament remains at stake, the Northern Irishman has made waves with his latest comment.

For the unversed, Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton have been fined by the DP World Tour for playing in events on the LIV Golf. The Spaniard recently appeared on the SubPar podcast and stated that the DPWT has fined him about $3 million. Since the Tour controls the European side of the Ryder Cup, Rahm and Hatton’s future Ryder Cup appearances remain uncertain.

Rory McIlroy, in conversation with the reporters before the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, claimed that Hatton and Rahm should pay the DP World Tour fines as a sign of commitment. He said:

“Yeah, absolutely. Main thing is — look, this is my opinion. 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’s two guys that can prove it. Great. I think that’s — yeah.”

Take a look at Flushing It Golf’s X (previously Twitter) post on the same:

Rory McIlroy’s statement on LIV golfers echoes his broader stance on the breakaway tour. From its inception, the Saudi PIF-backed golf league has faced criticism from the Holywood native.

LIV Golf star Tyrrell Hatton responds to Rory McIlroy’s warning and talks about DP World Tour fines

After the former World No. 1 shared his opinion on Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, the English pro, who is defending his Hero Dubai Desert Classic title, shared his side on the situation. While talking to the reporters, Tyrrell Hatton responded to Rory McIlroy’s statement and said (quotes taken via GolfMagic):

“Well, I’ve literally just come off a Pro-Am. So I’m not on my phone in the Pro-Am. So I don’t really have anything to add to what he said.”

Hatton is appealing against the DP World Tour fines and also gave an update on the legal procedure that was underway. In his statement, the 34-year-old professional golfer said:

“To be honest I don’t have an update to give. It’s still with legal teams, and there are guys that are still in conversations working it all out. So I haven’t put any more thought into that. Like I don’t really know what’s happening. So, yeah, I’m just here to play golf as always.”

It is worth mentioning that, besides Hatton, Rahm has also appealed the DP World Tour fines and sanctions. He stated in SubPar’s episode that he was fined for playing in LIV events that did not conflict with the DP World Tour events he usually participates in.