Jon Rahm gives Tour bosses timely reminder after drawing up LIV Golf shortlist

Jon Rahm was in fine form on his return to the DP World Tour at the Andalucia Masters, as he also turns his attention to completing his LIV Golf roster for 2025

Jon Rahm has given DP World Tour chiefs a stark reminder of what they've been missing during his stint with LIV Golf, as he made a striking comeback at the Andalucia Masters.

At the halfway point on his home turf, Rahm is firmly in contention, having scored an impressive six-under-par 66 in the second round to put himself in joint sixth place with 36 holes remaining. The ex-world No. 1's performance featured eight birdies - five of which were on the front nine - helping him recover from a slow yet steady start on Thursday.

Entering the event as this week's tournament favourite, Rahm's climb up the leaderboard on day two will boost his confidence that he can secure his first DP World Tour victory in almost two years, excluding the four major championships.

After a strong start on the front, Rahm then bagged three more birdies on the back nine, despite making a bogey either side of the turn, with the latter occurring at his last hole. Alongside his stellar performance on Friday, Rahm is also focusing on his off-course business this week, in addition to his efforts on the green.

The captain of LIV franchise Legion XIII is scouting for the final member to complete his four-man team for the 2025 season, following the demotion of his former teammate Kieran Vincent in September. Even though the new LIV season is still five months away, Rahm has already begun the search for a replacement.

Speaking out before the start of the tournament, he mentioned to Spanish media Golf Sin Etiquetas: "I still don't have a player who is already signed but we have six or seven in mind". Rahm also let slip that he's keeping an eye on one prospect currently on the greens with him over in Andalucia this week.

The LIV golf captain has indeed been swept up in quite the whirlwind these past months. Since hopping onto the controversial LIV league bandwagon towards the end of the previous year, his Ryder Cup future became murky.

To have a shot at battling it out in the prestigious event, European players must participate in at least four DP World Tour events each annum.

As autumn approached, Rahm was under pressure against the ticking clock. Though his allegiance was locked in with LIV Golf for the season, he still needed to knock off three more tournaments just last month to guarantee his spot representing Europe at Bethpage Black in the following year.

Luck was on Rahm's side as he managed to tee off at both the Spanish Open and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, making his play this week the critical fourth the tally required. Nevertheless, he's not out of the woods yet, potentially facing penalties and even a ban from the DP World Tour hanging overhead.

According to Tour rules, Rahm has been penalised each time he's participated in a 'conflicted' event on the LIV circuit. It's anticipated that he'll need to resolve these penalties before he can play Ryder Cup golf. However, the Spaniard disclosed last month that he has no plans to pay his dues.

"I'm not a big fan of the fines. I think I've been outspoken about that," he stated. "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."

Rahm has since contested the punishment, which has enabled him to return to the European circuit. It's still uncertain whether the appeal will be considered before or after the Ryder Cup next September.