As one chapter closes, another begins. For Jon Rahm, that transition delivered him back to victory lane, capturing his first major title since securing the 2023 Masters green jacket. Making his inaugural appearance at the Abu Dhabi Championship hosted at Yas Links GC, the Spanish golfer delivered an exceptional performance, finishing at 23 under par to claim a two-stroke win over former LIV Golf colleague Tyrrell Hatton.
This triumph represents Rahm’s 11th career DP World Tour trophy across merely 92 appearances, placing him behind only Tiger Woods and Seve Ballesteros as the third-fastest golfer to reach that benchmark. Additionally, he has now secured six Rolex Series victories—surpassing Hatton for the overall record—a milestone of immense significance heading into the upcoming DP World Tour Championship.
“This holds great significance for me,” Rahm expressed. “I’m still struggling to fully process it. A considerable amount of time has passed since I last performed well in a DP World Tour tournament. In fact, setting aside my withdrawals, I believe I came in dead last during my previous outing. Moving from the bottom of the field straight to victory is an incredible sensation.
“Aside from my misstep on the 17th hole, I feel my final nine holes were virtually mistake-free. The play was exceptionally steady, with almost no threat of dropping strokes outside of that single hole. … The 6-iron I hit on the 15th is certainly a candidate for my best shot of the season. Given everything I’ve navigated—struggles on the course alongside the mental strain from all the external chatter—returning after some downtime and welcoming a new family member makes this extremely meaningful. My only regret is that my family isn’t present to share this moment.”
Even though Rahm competed under the LIV Golf banner in 2026, the ex-world No. 1 remains in contention to claim the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai crown. If he succeeds in completing a postseason sweep by winning the DP World Tour Championship next week, Rahm would require Rory McIlroy to place lower than second and current standings leader Eugenio Chacarra to end up outside the top eight, per the DP World Tour television coverage.
Rahm has previously hoisted the DP World Tour Championship trophy three times, while also claiming the overall Race to Dubai title back in 2019.
“I never imagined I’d be in a position to win it,” Rahm admitted. “I’m thrilled. It actually provides extra motivation for next week. I genuinely thought I was out of contention. The scenario is far more favorable than I anticipated, so I’m eager for the challenge and hopeful I can secure a fourth title.”
Four golfers shared the top of the leaderboard as they made the turn onto the back nine, with playing companions Hatton and Francesco LaPorta keeping the pressure on while McIlroy launched a charge from the group directly ahead. However, McIlroy’s momentum stalled following a bogey on the 15th, and LaPorta dropped out of the running after shooting 4 over across the 12th and 13th holes.
Consequently, the battle for the title came down to Rahm and Hatton down the final stretch. Rahm essentially locked up the win with a brilliant approach shot on the par-4 15th.
McIlroy’s hopes remain very much alive as he pursues a record-equaling eighth Race to Dubai trophy next week. The six-time major winner nearly cut his point gap behind Chacarra in half by finishing third at 19 under par, overtaking Patrick Reed to climb into second place in the overall standings with just four rounds remaining.
Reed now occupies third position in the Race to Dubai standings after pacing the season-long race for the majority of the year, with Casey Jarvis and Aaron Rai completing the top five spots. Rahm’s victory triggered a dramatic surge from 51st up to 6th, and he has his sights set on climbing even higher when the tour moves to Dubai next week.
“Entering the DP World Tour Championship in this position feels very comfortable for me, and I’m looking forward to the task,” McIlroy noted. “My main objective for these final two events was to close the gap on Eugenio and Patrick to give myself a shot at winning the Race to Dubai title once more. Winning this week to further reduce the margin or take the lead would have been ideal, but I still feel strongly that I have a fantastic opportunity.”
