Jon Rahm is adding a surprise event to his summer schedule

The downturn in LIV Golf’s uncertain future will provide a rare opportunity in just a few weeks. Jon Rahm will compete in the Scottish Open – an event jointly sanctioned by the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour – for the first time since 2022, before becoming an LIV golfer.

Rahm is in a different situation than many other pros, where he plays most of his golf in LIV events, but he does play a certain number of DP World Tour events to meet the minimum membership fee. The Scottish is a DPWT event, but it is co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour, meaning Rahm could technically win a PGA Tour event in July. The field is made up of a close split of players – half from the Europe-based tour, and half from the PGA Tour. And for Rahm, it’s just the latest step in the 2026 pro golf cycle.

Rahm has been an integral part of Ryder Cup Europe for almost a decade, but for the past two months he has been fighting with the DPWT – which owns the majority of RC in Europe – over how to maintain next season’s membership and eligibility for next year’s cup in Ireland. After a months-long standoff, Rahm agreed to a deal with the DPWT — not much different than deals made by other European LIV players — that would require him to pay any outstanding fines and play five tournaments this year, a few of which were selected by the DPWT.

DPWT is in the business of strengthening its sectors, but it is also selective in this process. It reached agreements with Tyrrell Hatton, Thomas Detry and six other European LIV golfers ahead of the 2026 season that would allow them to play LIV events without being sanctioned. Deals are subject to those players competing in a limited number of events and a few events selected by the DPWT. Detry, for example, is playing in Belgium this week in the Soudal Open, according to the agreement he signed. The same goes for Adrian Meronk.

Rahm has been fighting for months against these minor fixes for LIV players, but he recently reached an agreement with the league. He had always intended to play the Irish Open, BMW PGA Championship, Spanish Open and Dunhill Links, but the new deal required him to add a fifth event, and that would be the Scottish Open, as confirmed at the weekend.

Why is Rahm’s place on the field important?

To be honest, it comes on his heels that he will go toe-to-toe in the majors, finishing in a tie for second, just ahead of the likes of Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and others. In other words, the golfers are facing them only in major tournaments (about stroke play). Of course, Rahm has maintained European membership over the years by competing in some of its most prominent events, but Scheffler, Schauffele and many others are not entering Europe in the fall. They usually don’t go to Dubai in January, either. So in many ways, we haven’t seen much of Rahm vs. Collin Morikawa, or vs. Jordan Spieth, or vs. Justin Thomas is out of the majors. This is another chance to see him play with a full stadium like he did this weekend at Aronimink.

It’s hard to know when Rahm officially decided to play the Scottish Open, but LIV’s recent financial news has made it much easier. He was scheduled to play at the LIV event in New Orleans at the end of June, but that was postponed indefinitely after the Saudi PIF announced it would stop sponsoring LIV after the season. Funding that had been paid to LIV by the state of Louisiana is expected to be returned.

In a twist on his schedule, Rahm is set to play the Scottish the week before the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in England. LIV then heads a few hours south for its England event the week after the Open.

While a win in Scotland wouldn’t change the status of Rahm’s membership — he didn’t cancel his PGA Tour membership when he left LIV — it would serve as a reminder of the value he undoubtedly brings to whatever league he plays in. According to DataGolf, he is ranked as the No. 2 in the world. He has been ranked in DataGolf’s top 10 for the past 7.5 years. And as he has played throughout his career, he has never won a Scottish Open. He finished T55 in 2022 and solo seventh in 2021.