Jon Rahm eyeing up next event away from LIV Golf after being banned by PGA Tour

Jon Rahm could still play on the DP World Tour next month despite his defection to LIV Golf. Rahm has been suspended by the PGA Tour from their events for his “association with a series of unauthorised tournaments” after signing his £450m deal with LIV.

However the DP World Tour takes a different disciplinary approach to its LIV rebels than the PGA Tour, requiring them to seek releases from conflicting events instead of banning them outright.

And as the LIV season does not start until February, Rahm could choose to tee it up on the Middle East swing next month without an issue.

“One of the great things about LIV Golf is that it gives me that flexibility to go play some other events,” said Rahm.

The Masters champion has tended to start his year in the United States rather than in the desert and ordinarily would have defended his titles at the The Sentry in Hawaii and The American Express in California next month.

But with that option having now been closed to him by the hardline PGA Tour response to his stunning announcement, he could look to the DP World Tour instead.

The Dubai Invitational on January 11 is followed by the high-profile Dubai Desert Classic the following week where Rory McIlroy is the defending champion.

Rahm, who remains a member of the DP World Tour having taken up his membership again last month, has until two weeks before the start of the tournament to decide whether to enter.

He expressed his desire to play in September’s Spanish Open on the DP World Tour when he signed up with LIV. “I’ve expressed how important the Spanish Open is to me in the past,” he said.