Luke Donald reacts to Jon Rahm’s last-minute Ryder Cup decision

In the final moments, Jon Rahm applied for his stay of execution. 

At one stage on Wednesday, the Spaniard’s Ryder Cup hopes were hanging by a thread as the row over his eligibility rumbled on.

But on Thursday morning before the noon deadline, Rahm launched an appeal to the DP World Tour against his fines for playing in conflicting LIV Golf events to ensure he can play in this month’s Spanish Open.

It means that, pending a lengthy appeal process, Rahm will be able to compete in the remaining three DP World Tour events he needs to keep his card and – crucially – keep his Ryder Cup hopes alive.

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Finally, in an interview with Off the Ball‘s Nathan Murphy, the European captain Luke Donald could breathe a big sigh of relief at Royal County Down.

“With everything going on in the world of golf this gives him some opportunity and time to play his three events that he needs to get to his four to maintain eligibility requirements that the DP World Tour require,” he smiled after receiving the news after his first round 74 at the Irish Open.

“I’m super happy he’s decided to do that. Jon is a world class player and we’re certainly stronger with him in the team.”

Donald has remained in regular contact with Rahm throughout the uncertain period following his LIV move and it always felt inconceivable that he wouldn’t have one of his star men at Bethpage Black.

The two-time major champion will now tee it up in his home open in Madrid after LIV’s Team Championship in Dallas, before visits to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland and the Andalucia Masters to meet his criterion.

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“I’ve had many conversations [with him],” Donald added. “I made a point to go and see him a lot when I was around the tournaments at the majors and obviously swapped many messages with him over the past few months. I’m very happy. It keeps him eligible.

“The last thing I’d want for him is not to be able to fulfil those eligibility requirements and without that, not giving me an opportunity to pick him. This gives us more time to figure out what’s going on in the world of golf and hopefully we can all do that.”

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.