Jon Rahm has no intention of paying the fines dealt his way by the DP World Tour, as he reiterated his desire to play at the Ryder Cup.

Rahm, who starred as Europe beat the United States in Rome last year to regain the Ryder Cup, moved to LIV Golf in February.

The Spaniard's participation in next year's Ryder Cup, which will be held in New York, remains in doubt.

Rahm was slapped with fines for playing in LIV tournaments that clashed with DP World Tour events without having requested permission.

If he does not play in three more DP World Tour tournaments before the end of the season in November, he will not be eligible to play at the Ryder Cup.

However, despite Rahm entering the Spanish Open, Dunhill Links Championship and Andalucia Masters, he will be unable to play until he pays his fines, something the 29-year-old does not plan on doing.

"I'm not a big fan of the fines. I don't intend to pay the fines and we keep trying to have a discussion with them about how we can make this happen," he said.

"I intend to play in Spain. Whether they let me play or not is a different thing."

Former European captain Padraig Harrington has limited sympathy for Rahm.

"I'm a stickler for the rules," he said.

"I'm friends with Jon but if the rules are written down, that's just the way it is. The Ryder Cup is bigger than just the match. It is the backbone of the European Tour.

"The European Tour doesn't have a lot of leverage to get players to come back across and play here. The Ryder Cup is the carrot that we use to get people to come back.

"It is a very tough situation for Luke Donald and the Ryder Cup but if the 12th guy who qualifies by sticking to the rules gets bumped out, he's not going to be happy if somebody else has not stuck to the rules. We can't forget that person."

Justin Rose has urged Jon Rahm to make sure he is eligible for the Ryder Cup next year.

The Spaniard, who plays on the LIV circuit, needs to play three events on the DP World Tour before the end of the season in November to be available for selection.

The Spanish Open looks to be the most likely solution for the two-time major winner, but he has not yet submitted an entry, which would need to be in by September 12.

If he fails to meet the requirements needed for his tour membership, Luke Donald will not be able to call on him, even for one of the wild card spots, as Europe look to defend their trophy at Bethpage next September.

Rose believes not having Rahm in the team would be a huge blow to Team Europe's chances in New York last year, but understands the Tour's need to enforce the regulations.

"No matter where the world rankings say he is or the golf that he is competing against, we know what a great player he is," Rose said, speaking after an event at Brocket Hall.

"My point is you want him on the team. There is a pathway for him to play the Ryder Cup if he wants it.

"I think that's all the DP World Tour can do, and they have their interests to protect, and I still think that it is a doable situation should the player want to choose to do it."

Scottie Scheffler carded a record-tying nine-under 62 to win gold at the Paris Olympics, earning the United States' second consecutive golf title.

Scheffler, who started four shots behind co-leaders Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele heading into the final round, shot 29 on the back nine to confirm the triumph. 

But the world number one was pushed all the way by Great Britain's Tommy Fleetwood, who shot 66 to finish one shot behind to claim a silver medal at Le Golf National. 

Fleetwood had the opportunity to force a play-off heading into the 18th but drifted his approach long and left, sending his chip close to save par under pressure. 

Hideki Matsuyama had been at the top of the leaderboard for much of the weekend and took home the bronze medal.

Matsuyama made amends for his play-off defeat at his home Games in Tokyo three years ago, shooting 65 to finish 17 under and claim the final podium place. 

Scottie Scheffler brings home the gold

The United States is victorious once again @OlympicGolf! pic.twitter.com/hLIq0D13Xr

Home favourite Victor Perez shot an inspired eight-under 63 to finish a shot outside the top three, while Rahm bogeyed the last to finish 15 under, dropping out of contention after struggling on the back nine.

Rory McIlroy finished joint-fifth alongside the Spaniard, with Schauffele dropping to joint-ninth after enduring a difficult round, shooting two over. 

Scottie Scheffler carded a record-tying nine-under 62 to win gold at the Paris Olympics, earning the United States' second consecutive golf title.

Scheffler, who started four shots behind co-leaders Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele heading into the final round, shot 29 on the back nine to confirm the triumph. 

But the world number one was pushed all the way by Great Britain's Tommy Fleetwood, who shot 66 to finish one shot behind to claim a silver medal at Le Golf National. 

Fleetwood had the opportunity to force a play-off heading into the 18th but drifted his approach long and left, sending his chip close to save par under pressure. 

Hideki Matsuyama had been at the top of the leaderboard for much of the weekend and took home the bronze medal.

Matsuyama made amends for his play-off defeat at his home Games in Tokyo three years ago, shooting 65 to finish 17 under and claim the final podium place. 

Scottie Scheffler brings home the gold

The United States is victorious once again @OlympicGolf! pic.twitter.com/hLIq0D13Xr

Home favourite Victor Perez shot an inspired eight-under 63 to finish a shot outside the top three, while Rahm bogeyed the last to finish 15 under, dropping out of contention after struggling on the back nine.

Rory McIlroy finished joint-fifth alongside the Spaniard, with Schauffele dropping to joint-ninth after enduring a difficult round, shooting two over. 

Reigning Olympic champion Xander Schauffele was the joint leader heading into the final round of the Paris Games, with Jon Rahm level with him in top spot. 

The pair are tied at 14 under after three rounds of action at Le Golf National, with Rahm producing a five-under 66 to jump up the leaderboard from fourth. 

Schauffele enjoyed another mostly error-free round, carding a three-under 68 with the hopes of retaining the crown he claimed in Tokyo three years ago. 

Britain's Tommy Fleetwood remains just a shot behind after another fine round.

He sent a putt on 18 narrowly short for what would have been a three-way tie for the lead. 

Hideki Matsuyama, who was tied for the lead going into the third round, dropped to joint-fourth after two bogeys in his first four holes, missing the opportunity on 18 to go within two shots of the lead. 

Meanwhile, world number one Scottie Scheffler shot himself into contention for a medal after carding a four-under 67, leaving him level with Rory McIlroy and Joo-Hyung Kim in T6.

Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard produced the best round of the day, shooting a course record-tying 62 to move him 26 places up the leaderboard. 

Jon Rahm hopes he can "continue this stretch" of Spanish sporting triumphs with victory at the Open Championship this week.

Spain were given plenty of reasons to celebrate on the sporting front last weekend.

Carlos Alcaraz successfully defended his Wimbledon crown on Sunday, a few hours before Spain won Euro 2024 with victory over England, while Sergio Garcia won his first title in four years at LIV Golf Andalucia.

Rahm, who finished tied-second at this event 12 months ago, hopes he can continue the trend by going one step better this time at Royal Troon.

"A lot of history is being done, with Alcaraz being the sixth player to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year and [winning] four Grand Slams at a very young age, Spain winning the fourth European championship," the Spaniard told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday.

"And Sergio and his team doing what they did on Sunday, quite special. Coming back to a venue like this with so much history, it would be quite incredible to earn an Open Championship on this golf course in this tournament.

"It's arguably my favourite week in golf. And to maybe even continue this stretch of great Spanish sports, it would be absolutely fantastic."

As a result of Spain's victory over England in Berlin, Rahm revealed he has subsequently received a warm welcome from the Scottish locals.

"I played all 18 holes yesterday and I think I got more congratulations for something that I didn't do than I ever have in my life," the two-time major winner laughed.

"I don't know what they've done, but anytime anybody plays against the English national team, every other country in Europe just unifies against them. I don't know why or what they've done. I'm not aware of the history.

"I think because we've heard 'It's Coming Home' so many times the last few years, that nobody wants to see it come home at this point."

World golf remains split on the divide between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, yet United States Golf Association chief executive Mike Whan hopes to create a pathway for the breakaway players at the U.S. Open.

No permanent deal appears on the cards in the near future as the PGA and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), which funds the LIV circuit, held further talks last week.

Tiger Woods described the meeting as "productive" but just 12 LIV players will be in action when the U.S. Open starts on Thursday at Pinehurst.

Jon Rahm would have been the 13th if not for his withdrawal due to a troublesome foot injury as LIV representation remains sparse at golf's major events.

Whan wants to change the dynamic between the two competitions, however.

"I think we are serious about that," USGA chief Whan said when asked about creating a link between LIV and the U.S. Open. 

"Exactly what that looks like, I'm not just being coy, we haven't done that yet.

"I also think, if I'm being perfectly honest with you, we've always felt like for the last year and a half that we're always three months away from kind of understanding what the new structure is going to look like.

"So before we kind of react, what is LIV going to be, what's the PGA Tour? We always felt like we were just about to know that answer, so let's figure that out.

"Now, I think the reason we're being more vocal about looking at that [pathway] for next year is maybe this is the new world order, and if that's the case we wanted to take a look at that.

"I think it's feasible. I don't think it's a huge pathway, but we do offer other pathways through DP World Tour or Korn Ferry Tour, so we know that there's an option to get there."

Past U.S. Open champions Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Martin Kaymer are among the LIV golfers to feature at this week's major.

LIV rookies Dean Burmester, David Puig and Eugenio Chacarra all made the field through final qualifying, while veteran Sergio Garcia was added to the list of players on Monday.

Jon Rahm has withdrawn from the US Open due to a troublesome foot injury, just two days before the tournament starts in North Carolina.

The Spaniard arrived at Pinehurst's famed Number Two course wearing one shoe on his right foot and a flip-flop on his left after a cut between his toes turned into an infection.

"It is doing better, but the pain is high," said the 29-year-old at his pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday.

Yet the world number eight, who won the US Open title in 2021, confirmed his withdrawal later in the day.

"After consulting with numerous doctors and my team, I have decided it is best for my long-term health, to withdraw from this week's US Open Championship," Rahm wrote on social media.

"To say I'm disappointed is a massive understatement!

"I wish all my peers the best of luck and want to thank all of the USGA staff, volunteers and community of Pinehurst for hosting and putting on what I'm sure will be an amazing championship!

"Hopefully I'll be back in action sooner than later!"

Rahm has not won since making the move to LIV Golf from the PGA Tour last December, while the 29-year-old shared 45th at this year's Masters and missed the cut at last month's PGA Championship.

The two-time major winner had previously finished inside the top 25 in his last five outings at the US Open.

Jon Rahm has admitted that he is unsure whether he will be fit enough to feature in this week's 124th US Open at Pinehurst. 

The Spaniard, who won the title in 2021, turned up with an injured foot on Tuesday having withdrawn from the second round of LIV Houston last week with an infection. 

Upon his arrival in North Carolina, Rahm revealed that his foot was a concern ahead of the competition. 

"It is doing better, but the pain is high," said the 29-year-old, "I have a little hole between my pinky toe and next one and it got infected.

"I got a shot to numb the pain [before the second round in Houston] that was supposed to last all round and it lasted two holes."

The world number eight has not won since making the move to LIV Golf from the PGA Tour last December. He shared 45th at the Masters and missed the cut at last month's PGA Championship.

When asked if there was a good chance he might not play this week, he replied: "I don’t know. The infection is now controlled, but there's still swelling and there's still pain.

"There's a reason I walked out here in a shoe and a flip-flop, trying to keep the area dry and trying to get that to heal as soon as possible. But I can only do what I can do. The human body can only work so fast."

Former champion Jon Rahm expects a combination of “fun and kicks in the teeth” as the Los Angeles Country Club prepares to host the 123rd US Open.

Rahm experienced the North Course in a prestigious college event 10 years ago, when world number seven Max Homa set the course record of 61, but most of the field have never tackled it before this week.

The restored 7,423-yard, par-70 layout on Wilshire Boulevard includes a 623-yard par five and two of its five par threes measure almost 300 yards, while even the par-three 15th – which can play as short as 80 yards – poses its own challenges.

“It is a US Open. Fairways and greens, hopefully two-putt and move on,” Rahm, who won his first major at Torrey Pines in 2021, said of his gameplan.

“I think it’s deceptively wide. Those fairways look bigger than they play. You still need to strike it really well tee to green to be able to give yourself some looks at birdie.

“It’s a design that I like. It makes you think. It’s very intricate green complexes. You’ve got to play the angles a little bit, and especially if you miss the greens, you’re going to find yourself in some interesting spots to get up and down.

“It’s got everything. It’s got all the ingredients to be a great week.

“Max Homa shot nine under on this golf course (in 2013). That’s not happening right now. It’s just clearly a much different golf course. The rough wasn’t as high as it is right now.

“You could actually afford to miss a fairway and have confidence that the ball was going to be around the green area, not always on the green.

“The only thing I can say is that I have really good memories about it and I enjoyed the challenge back then. I think I’m going to as well this week.”

Remarkably, the 284-yard seventh hole and 290-yard 11th are not even the longest par threes in US Open history, with the eighth hole at Oakmont playing to 300 yards in 2007 and 299 yards in 2016.

But even Rahm, one of the longest hitters in the game, needed to hit a three wood to the seventh on Monday and described the hole as “somewhat fair”.

“I think there’s a bit of a give and take,” the Masters champion added. “There’s got to be a balance. I don’t think we’re going to play every hole tipped out [at maximum yardage] every day, either.

“There’s a bit of everything. If you hit perfect drives, let’s say on one, two and three, you’re pretty much looking at birdie options.

“And then you get kicked in the teeth with four and five and most likely seven, and possibly nine depending on pin location. There is a certain flow to the golf course in a US Open that I haven’t seen before.

“You have par fours where you’re going to hit driver, wedge every day if you hit the fairway, no matter the wind. And then you have holes like 11, 16 and 18 that are going to play very long no matter what.

“I think it’s a bit different, and it’s fun. You’ll see a lot of birdies and I think you also will see some high numbers come out of nowhere.”

Rahm was due to get his bid for a third major title under way from the 10th tee at 0824 local time (1624 BST) on Thursday alongside Ryder Cup team-mate Viktor Hovland and Olympic champion Xander Schauffele.

World number one Scottie Scheffler was set to tee off 11 minutes earlier from the first tee along with Homa and Collin Morikawa, but Rory McIlroy and US PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka had to wait until 1354 local time (2154 BST) to start round one.

World number one Jon Rahm faced an uphill battle to make the halfway cut on day two of the 105th US PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

Seeking back-to-back major titles following his Masters triumph at Augusta National last month, Rahm birdied his opening hole in the first round before slumping to a six-over-par 76.

US Open champion and playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick failed to record a single birdie as he recorded the same score to trail clubhouse leader Bryson DeChambeau by 10 shots.

DeChambeau’s 66 gave him a one-shot lead over world number two Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson and Corey Conners, although Eric Cole had reached five under after 14 holes when play was suspended for the day due to darkness.

The start of play had been delayed by an hour and 50 minutes on Thursday morning due to frost.

Rory McIlroy fought back from three over par after nine holes to post a 71 despite struggling with an unspecified illness.

Quote of the day

Keegan Bradley reflects on a rollercoaster opening round of 68.

Shot of the day

Scott Stallings began his round from the 10th and holed his second shot of the day from 128 yards for an eagle.

Round of the day

Although DeChambeau shot the lowest score, arguably the best round of the day was a bogey-free effort from Scottie Scheffler.

Statistic of the day

World number one and Masters champion Jon Rahm struggled to an opening 76.

Hardest hole (*round incomplete)

The 481-yard ninth hole yielded just seven birdies and played to an average of 4.448.

Easiest hole (*round incomplete)

Despite measuring 617 yards, the par-five fourth hole played to an average of 4.873, with Rory McIlroy reaching the green with a long iron to set up one of the 32 birdies made.

Weather forecast

Much warmer temperatures can be expected on Friday ahead of an approaching low-pressure system and associated cold front that will move through the region on Saturday. This will bring a good chance for rain Friday night through the day on Saturday. Drier conditions return by Saturday evening with partly cloudy skies and mild temperatures expected for Sunday.

Reigning U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick moved into a one-shot lead from Patrick Cantlay at the RBC Heritage with a bogey-free eight-under 63.

Fitzpatrick surged up the leaderboard on the third day at Harbour Town Golf Links with a hole-out eagle from 149 yards out on the par-four third hole.

The 28-year-old Englishman's 63 was a new career-low score, highlighted by four birdies along with the eagle on his front nine 30.

Fitzpatrick leads at 14 under from Cantlay (13 under) and Jordan Spieth (12 under) who carded five-under 66s on the third day.

Cantlay enjoyed a bogey-free round of five under, managing three birdies in four holes on the back nine, while Spieth bogeyed on the par-three 17th, seeing him drop two strokes off the lead.

Halfway leader Jimmy Walker slipped down the leaderboard with a one-over 72, meaning he is tied for fourth at 11 under with Taylor Moore, Mark Hubbard, Tommy Fleetwood and Scottie Scheffler.

Last week's Masters champion Jon Rahm was unable to build on his second-day 64, despite starting with three straight birdies.

Rahm's run stalled with a double bogey on the fourth, eventually carding a two-under 69 to be back at eight-under overall.

Keegan Bradley had the second-best round of the day behind Fitzpatrick, moving to nine-under overall and joint 16th with a bogey-free seven-under 64.

Last week's Masters champion Jon Rahm shook off his poor opening round and rebounded with Friday's best score, while Jimmy Walker opened up a three-stroke lead at the RBC Heritage.

Rahm had a bit of a hangover following his second major victory, beginning his week at Harbour Town Golf Links with a one-over 72, before showing the field how it was done with a seven-under 64 on his second trip around the course.

He birdied holes two, three, four and five to kick-start a bogey-free round with seven birdies overall, jumping from the wrong side of the cut line to a tie for 18th at six under.

Meanwhile, at the top of the leaderboard it was Jimmy Walker who raced clear of the pack, posting his second 65 in a row to head into the weekend at 12 under.

Walker, 44, is a six-time winner on the PGA Tour, but his last victory came at the 2016 PGA Championship, and he came into this event with only four made cuts from 12 starts this season.

He has his work cut out for him to hold off a star-studded chasing pack, with world number two Scottie Scheffler joined by major champion Justin Rose and world number six Xander Schauffele at nine under.

Fellow top-10 talents Patrick Cantlay and Viktor Hovland are one stroke further back at eight under, where they are joined by English duo Aaron Rai and Tommy Fleetwood in a tie for fifth.

Jordan Spieth is tied for 10th at seven under with a group that includes Rickie Fowler and former RBC Heritage champion Matt Kuchar, and Rahm is joined at six under by reigning U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick.

Young South Korean phenom Tim Kim missed the cut by one stroke, while Max Homa had a week to forget, finishing at three over to miss the cut by five strokes.

Play was suspended in Thursday's opening round of the RBC Heritage with Viktor Hovland clinging onto the outright lead following his seven-under 64.

It was a great first trip around Harbour Town Golf Links for the Norwegian, going bogey-free with seven birdies.

Hovland, 25, is coming off some terrific results, tying for third at The Players Championship in March before a tied-seventh finish at the Masters last week.

He leads by one stroke from Jimmy Walker, Aaron Rai and Brian Harman, although Harman is the only of the trio to have finished their round, with Walker still having two holes to play, while Rai has three more to try and track down Hovland.

There is a logjam tied for fifth at five under including major champions Matt Fitzpatrick, Zach Johnson and Justin Rose, with Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele a further shot back at four under.

Defending champion Jordan Spieth is joined by world number two Scottie Scheffler and three-time champion at this event Stewart Cink at three under, while top-10 talents Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay headline the group at two under. 

Last week's Masters champion Jon Rahm shot a disappointing one-over 72, and world number seven Max Homa (two over) is also on the wrong side of the cut-line heading into Friday.

Brooks Koepka said it will take a while to get over missing out on winning the Masters after seeing Jon Rahm take the green jacket after Sunday's final round.

Koepka had led for the first three rounds at Augusta, only to finish tied for second with Phil Mickelson, four shots behind eventual winner Rahm.

Speaking after his final three-over round of 75, the 32-year-old did not believe he played well enough, but also failed to get "good breaks".

"Obviously it's super disappointing," he said. "I didn't play good enough to win. Hit some shots where I also feel like I didn't get some good breaks, the ball on nine; on four and six, I hit some good shots and just ended up in some terrible spots where it was quite difficult.

"Then 12, it was just kind of interesting, Jon hit nine and I hit a wedge over the green. Then 14, I felt like I just had to make a run for it. Didn't feel like I did too much wrong, but that's how golf goes sometimes."

Koepka also claimed that the pair in front of him and Rahm – Patrick Cantlay and Viktor Hovland – were slowing them down, saying: "Yeah, the group in front of us was brutally slow. Jon went to the bathroom like seven times during the round, and we were still waiting."

With two LIV Golf players in Koepka and Mickelson in the top three, the former said it proved they can compete just as well as their PGA Tour counterparts.

"I mean, we're still the same people," he said. "I know if I'm healthy, I know I can compete. I don't think any of the guys that played this event thought otherwise, either. When Phil plays good, we know he's going to compete. [Patrick] Reed, the same thing.

"I think that's just manufactured by the media that we can't compete anymore; that we are washed up."

He added: "The way Jon played today was pretty impressive. I don't know, the game, it's so good right now, everybody, it's amazing to see all these guys compete. When they are at their best, they are all tough to beat."

Having also finished tied for second at the 2019 Masters, Koepka said he will not initially see the positives in such a high finish at a major, but will eventually do so.

"Probably not. Not today. Probably not for the next few days. But eventually it will be a positive," he said. "I'd say probably give it a week, and I'll start to see some positives out of it and carry this over to the PGA, the US Open and The Open.

"But right now, it's kind of tough to see, if I'm honest, probably for the next few hours and the next few days."