DP World Tour confirm shock Jon Rahm update ahead of season finale
Jon Rahm has decided not to compete in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
Jon Rahm has decided to not compete in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai from 14-17 November, a DP World Tour spokesperson has confirmed to GolfMagic.
Rahm, 29, is a record three-time winner of the DP World Tour Championship on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
The two-time major champion was eligible to compete in the DP World Tour season finale as a result of being inside the top 50 in the DP World Tour Rankings.
The $10m DP World Tour Championship is a limited 50-man tournament.
"Jon Rahm has not entered the DP World Tour Championship," a DP World Tour spokesperson told GolfMagic's Andy Roberts ahead of the circuit's last event of the 2024 season.
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The DP World Tour Championship is considered one of the circuit's flagship events of the season, alongside the famed BMW PGA at Wentworth.
Rahm, who also skipped the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links from 7-10 November, was ranked 38th on the standings after the completion of the first DP World Tour Playoffs event.
But despite recently being let back onto the DP World Tour after having appealed his fines for joining LIV Golf this season, Rahm has elected to bypass the tournament he has won three times since 2017.
The Spaniard reportedly joined LIV Golf in a $600m multi-year deal at the end of 2023.
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Rahm had to play in at least four regular season events on the DP World Tour in a bid to maintain his membership of the former European Tour circuit and also keep his hopes alive of competing on Luke Donald's European Ryder Cup team in September 2025.
The LIV Golf superstar, who won individual season honours on the Saudi-bankrolled circuit in his debut campaign, was able maintain his DP World Tour card and Ryder Cup aspirations as a result of competing in four regular events - the Olympics, the Open de Espana, Dunhill Links and Andalucia Masters.
But after the recent birth of his second child, a baby daughter, Rahm has made the decision to just solely play in four regular events on the DP World Tour and no more.
GolfMagic has also had it confirmed that European Ryder Cup hero and PGA Tour star Ludvig Aberg will also not be participating in the DP World Tour Championship.
Aberg has recently been struggling with a knee injury and he confirmed on 10 September that he had surgery to repair a torn meniscus.
The Swede recently posted a picture on Instagram that showed him wearing a sleeve but insisted that the surgery 'went well'.
Aberg reportedly needs a bit more time to fully recover, and we will now unlikely see him in competiton again until 2025.
The omissions of Rahm and Aberg mean Connor Syme (51st) and Francesco Laporta (52nd) will slip into the DP World Tour Championship field.
Rahm's LIV Golf teammate Tyrrell Hatton, who also appealed his fines to be able to return to the DP World Tour and play on the European Ryder Cup team again, has committed to the DP World Tour Championship.
Hatton, who won a record third Dunhill Links title last month, finished solo second behind Paul Waring in Abu Dhabi this week.
The Englishman has, to his credit, played in more than just four regular season events on the DP World Tour.
Hatton played in the Dubai Desert Classic prior to joining LIV Golf earlier in the season, and since returning to the circuit has also competed in the British Masters, Open de Espana, Dunhill Links and Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
It means once he participates in next week's DP World Tour Championship, Hatton will have played in six regular DP World Tour events.
Hatton's career hat-trick at the Dunhill Links and his latest runner-up finish in Abu Dhabi not only sees him chalk up some valuable Ryder Cup points but it also vaults him to sixth in the DP World Tour Rankings.
The LIV Golf star has made it clear that he wants to play in as many DP World Tour events as possible outside of competing on the LIV Golf League in order to give himself the best possible chance of making Donald's team in New York.
Hatton will not be able to win the Race to Dubai though since he is too far behind runaway leader Rory McIlroy.
Rahm also would not have been able to win the Race to Dubai even if he had turned up for the DP World Tour Championship.
But many golf fans still expected Rahm to rock up at Jumeirah Golf Estates, especially since he had made it clear the DP World Tour was still very much part of his plans moving forwards.
Not only is Rahm a record winner of this event, but you would also think he would want to accumulate as many European Ryder Cup points as possible while he can outside of competing on LIV Golf where no points are available.
Rahm's decision to decline playing in the DP World Tour Championship has not sat well with a number of golf fans, especially renowned writer John Huggan.
Huggan, a contributing editor to Golf Digest, tweeted: 'No Jon Rahm in Abu Dhabi and no Jon Rahm in Dubai. Time to tell him where to stick his place in the next Ryder Cup?'
McIlroy is all-but assured of seeing out a sixth Harry Vardon trophy at the DP World Tour Championship.
The World No.3 is currently some 1,800 points clear of next best Thriston Lawrence, who is the only player who can catch McIlroy.
Should McIlroy etch his name on the Harry Vardon trophy, which does look a given, then it will mark his third straight Race to Dubai and sixth overall, matching the feat of late great Seve Ballesteros.
Colin Montgomerie holds the record of eight Order of Merit titles on the European Tour.
Next Page: Which 10 players are set to earn PGA Tour cards for 2025 via the DP World Tour?
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