Jon Rahm has dropped his appeal against the fines imposed on him by the DP World Tour for playing in LIV Golf - but it's just thrown his Ryder Cup future into even more doubt.
While eight LIV Golf players signed deals with the DP World Tour for reinstatement, paying their fines and agreeing to play in six to eight extra tournaments, Rahm refused.
While the fines are mounting up, Rahm did say he would "sign tonight" if the DP World Tour offered him the same deal but with the usual four minimum events to retain his membership and not six.
Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton had appealed the original fines 18 months ago, in order to remain eligible for the 2025 Ryder Cup in New York, but the DP World Tour has confirmed to Golf Monthly that Rahm has now dropped that appeal.
As first reported by GOLF.com Rahm has withdrawn his appeal - an appeal which not only meant he could play the Ryder Cup but also allowed him to compete in DP World Tour events.
So although proceedings have been dropped, it's far from a resolution of the saga as now Rahm will be unable to play DP World Tour events unless he pays his fines - which he's previously shown no appetite to do.
Aside from the money, it was the addition of being told to play DP World Tour events he'd never usually play that was a big sticking point for Rahm - who was happy enough to play his minimum of four, and pay his fines off, if that deal was offered.
"Now, I did tell them, funny enough, lower that to four events, like the minimum says, and I'll sign tonight," Rahm said explaining his decision to turn down the previous DP World Tour deal.
"They haven't agreed to that. I just refuse to play six events. I don't want to, and that's not what the rules say."
Rahm shows no signs of backing down
Rahm has always insisted he wanted to remain a DP World Tour member, but finds it hard to come to terms with having to play in more events than the likes of Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood to keep his card.
And he also feels the DP World Tour is having its cake and eating it by wanting LIV Golf players to take part in certain tournaments yet punishing them at the same time.
He said: "I don't know what game they're trying to play right now, but it just seems like in a way they're using us to - they're using our impact in tournaments and fining us and trying to benefit both ways from what we have to offer.
"And it's just in a way they're extorting players like myself and young players that have nothing to do with the politics of the game. So I don't like the situation and I'm not going to agree to that."
Rahm was also growing frustrated that the appeal, which he insists he was asked to put in to enable a solution to be found, was dragging on for so long without an outcome.
Rahm continued: "Given also the fact that two years ago I was asked to appeal the fines so they could figure this out and sort it out, and I did, and we're running into more problems right now."
The next move seems up to Rahm himself, but it seems he's grown tired of waiting for the appeal to materialize into something solid - whether he goes back to the negotiating table or agrees to pay his growing fines, believed to be over $3m, remains to be seen.
