Doubts around Jon Rahm’s Ryder Cup future have escalated dramatically after he took the extraordinary step of rejecting a deal to settle his ongoing fines saga with the DP World Tour – despite eight LIV rebels, including Tyrrell Hatton, agreeing to end the stand-off.

The Tour confirmed on Saturday morning that Hatton, Laurie Canter, Thomas Detry, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, David Puig and Elvis Smylie have all signed up to new terms that will bring a close to the row over sanctions imposed each time they play an event on LIV.

Under the structure of that agreement, they have accepted to pay fines already accrued and committed to playing extra DPWT tournaments, beyond the minimum of four required to retain membership of the Tour they jilted for LIV. Tour insiders view it is as an extremely generous offer, especially as LIV promised to cover all outstanding fines up until the start of this year.

Daily Mail Sport understands a deadline of Friday was set to accept the terms and, remarkably, Rahm has declined. For now, the former world No 1 seems certain to plough with long-running plans for an appeal, which sources have indicated will be held an independent body and could commence before the summer.

If Rahm loses and still refuses to pay up, with his fines estimated to be in the region of £2.5million, he will be forced to give up his DPWT membership and therefore become ineligible for the 2027 Ryder Cup. Intriguingly, his LIV team-mate Hatton, who had been by side in opposing the plans, has taken the other road.

It was only by virtue of a protracted, mutually-convenient appeals process that either of them was cleared to star for Luke Donald’s European team in New York last autumn, but frustration was growing on all sides that the issue was rumbling on indefinitely. Tour sources were stunned that Rahm had now decided to prolong the row.

Outlining the deal signed by the other eight, a DPWT statement read: ‘The DP World Tour has granted conditional releases to eight members to play in conflicting tournaments on LIV Golf during the 2026 season.

Each member has accepted the conditions specified by the DP World Tour for their release, which include: payment in full of all outstanding fines for breaches of the DP World Tour’s Regulations; participation in additional stipulated DP World Tour tournaments, as well as associated media activity and promotion; withdrawal of all pending appeals.

‘The members who have been granted conditional releases are: Laurie Canter, Thomas Detry, Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, David Puig and Elvis Smylie.

‘The conditions these members have accepted will provide additional value to the DP World Tour and benefit to the entire membership. Provided each member satisfies the conditions of their individual releases, no disciplinary action under the Regulations will be taken against them for playing in conflicting tournaments on LIV Golf in 2026 and they will retain their membership status.

‘The releases apply for the 2026 season only and they are not precedent-setting. Requests for releases will continue to be considered on their individual merits in accordance with the Regulations that all members agree to abide by.’

Rahm’s management have been contacted for comment.