Jon Rahm has ended his season three months before the official wrap-up. While this decision came amid a brewing chaos between him and his European Tour, Rahm has made it clear that he is not losing any sleep over it. His unpaid LIV fines keep tallying up with unresolved appeals, making the case more complicated, but Rahmbo has completely clocked out. Mentally first, and now officially. This latest update might rub salt on certain wounds.

On Thursday night, the two-time major champion was spotted courtside at the Phoenix Suns’ NBA Cup match against the Sacramento Kings. A smiling Rahm sat alongside his wife, Kelley Cahill, donning a Valley T-shirt. Suns’ official Instagram posted his picture with the caption, “Jon Rahm reppin’ The Valley!” The Suns went on to win the match (120-116), and Rahm looked right at home.

The Spaniard’s love for the Suns is not a coincidence. As one would know, Rahm attended Arizona State University in Tempe, playing his collegiate golf. It’s there that he developed an attachment to the city and its sports culture. In fact, this is one of many times he’s attended their game.

One such instance is from the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Rahm showed up courtside again in a Suns jersey, number 23, the same number he wears often for his own matches on the course. The team’s mascot, The Gorilla, even presented him with a personalized jersey during the game.

So if his love runs deep, how could Rahmbo then have missed the season opener match of the tournament? Well, it’s the surrounding context that will likely raise certain eyebrows.

While Rahm is out courtside living his best off-season life, the drama off the golf course has not exactly cooled down. Ever since joining LIV Golf in 2023, the Master champ has been at odds with the DP World Tour. The organization, in turn, has slapped him heavily with a series of fines for playing in conflicting LIV events. Each infraction, it is reported, carries a penalty of $98,000 to $130,000.

As Rahm had 12 clashes this year on the calendar, his total tab reportedly sits at a whopping $1.17 million!

But Rahm, being himself, has not shied away from fueling this tension. He’s flat-out said recently that he has completely forgotten about those fines.

“To be fair, I completely forgot about it, which is a good thing. I hope I forget about it until it happens,” he said, as reported by GolfMagic.

Rahm’s fellow LIV and Ryder Cup teammate, Tyrrell Hatton, too, has taken a similar approach, with both players appealing their fines and suspensions. Their cases should be noted, but won’t be heard until next year. This has effectively granted them a reprieve. What’s also interesting is that LIV has offered several times to pay for these fines, but that proposal yielded no result.

Notably, LIV will undergo a policy change from next year onwards, which would lead it to stop covering its players’ fines. The Saudi-backed league has already paid an estimated $20 – $26 million in fines on behalf of its players since its inception. But now, as the organization is bracing itself through a financial dip, it has put its hands up. This makes Rahm’s defiance over the fines all the more interesting.

For now, Rahm remains a DPWT member despite the flawed relationship. He has fulfilled the minimum requirement of four starts this season, which included appearances at the Spanish Open and BMW PGA Championship. This effectively helped him grab a spot on the Ryder Cup through Luke Donald’s captain’s pick.

In fact, after finishing T9 at the Spanish Open earlier this month, Rahm confirmed that he will not tee it up again before 2026.

“I’ve never had three months off, but I’m looking forward to it,” he told Ten Golf. “I’m lucky to be able to go home now, have a preseason, be a father, be with my family.”

For the first time since turning professional in 2016, Jon Rahm will end a season without a tournament victory. Still, he clinched the 2025 LIV Golf season-long individual championship through consistent top finishes and also contributed to Europe’s triumph at the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Still, what happens next could shape more than just his time off. With his ongoing appeal against the DP World Tour, Rahm’s place in European golf is uncertain.

Jon Rahm’s future hangs in the balance

Jon Rahm might look calm and content, but there’s real uncertainty behind that easygoing front. His ongoing appeal with the DP World Tour will decide a lot. Unfortunately, legal precedents are not in his favor.

In 2023, Sports Resolutions rejected similar appeals from Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, and several others, effectively forcing them to either pay up or walk away. Most, like Westwood, chose resignation over compliance. If history repeats itself, Rahm could be staring at a similar choice to make.

There’s also the Sergio Garcia example, which can offer a cautionary tale to his fellow Spaniards. After initially refusing to pay and resigning from the Tour, Garcia eventually reversed course, forking over more than £1 million to regain membership just so that he could keep his Ryder Cup eligibility.

Even then, he had to serve a suspension before returning to competition. If Rahm follows a similar trajectory, he could still face a lengthy absence from European events, jeopardizing not just his tour status but also his future Ryder Cup appearance. Losing him, on the other hand, would be a serious blow for Team Europe, something they would want to avoid.