Jon Rahm finishes rookie season in style withTour Championship win

By Keith Jackson

SKYSPORTS.COM

 
 

Rahm a double winner in Dubai

Jon Rahm started the week being named European Tour Rookie of the Year, and finished it as the DP World Tour Championship winner.

Jon Rahm started the week being named European Tour Rookie of the Year, and finished it as the DP World Tour Championship winner.

Jon Rahm declared himself "honoured and humbled" to join a star-studded list of champions at the DP World Tour Championship after a dramatic final day of the season in Dubai.

Rahm, recently crowned European Tour Rookie of the Year, took advantage of Justin Rose's uncertain back-nine performance and emerged from the pack to clinch a one-shot victory on 19 under par.

Jon Rahm fired a flawless five-under 67 to earn a one-shot win in Dubai

With most of the attention focused on Rose's duel with Tommy Fleetwood for the Race to Dubai title, Rahm kept a bogey off his card in a composed five-under 67 which ensured he edged out Shane Lowry and Kiradech Aphibarnrat.

The big-hitting Spaniard became the only multiple winner in the inaugural Rolex Series this season having stormed to a commanding win at the Irish Open in early July, capping a memorable first season on the European Tour.

"It's a very special feeling," said the 23-year-old. "What I've done this year, especially on the European Tour from no member, nothing, to an affiliate member, to European Tour champion and to actually be twice Rolex Series champion and winner of the DP World Tour Championship, it's something unbelievable.

"When you accomplish something that wasn't a goal at the end of the year and you've accomplished something that was years down the road, it is just such an incredible feeling. It's very, very special.

"I'm extremely honoured and humbled to join my name to the winners of this event. They are all great players, some of them are European Tour legends, so it's just great to join them and get my chance to put my name on that great trophy."

Rahm is the only two-time winner on the Rolex Series this year

Rahm also enjoyed a superb season on the US PGA Tour, winning his first title with an entertaining eagle on the final hole at the Farmers Insurance Open, and he is now looking to build on his performances on both sides of the Atlantic with his long-term sights set firmly on making his Ryder Cup debut for Europe next year.

"When you want things to happen but when you actually achieve them, winning the Tour Championship is one of them," he added. "It changes the whole perspective. It's the last tournament of the year, and to get it done the last week proves to myself that I belong here.

Dubai: Story of day 4

Highlights from a dramatic final day of the European Tour season as Tommy Fleetwood clinches Race to Dubai glory and Jon Rahm wins the DP World Tour Championship.

"I belong on the European Tour and I belong on the US PGA Tour. It's a great week for me mentally in that sense and, hopefully, it reinforces my position to maybe be considered for the Ryder Cup next year.

"We still haven't set the schedule so that's something I'm going to look at. I'm going to try to come to Europe. I love coming to Europe, clearly. I have success in Europe and I want to keep coming, have a lot of fun and hopefully keep playing good golf."

Rahm has set his sights on a Ryder Cup debut next year

Rahm had seemed to be too far back to contend midway through his second round as he turned in 37 to be just two under for the tournament, but he kick-started his challenge with five birdies on the back nine before rounds of 65 and 67 over the weekend propelled him to the top of the leaderboard.

"I can't tell you what happened on the first 27 holes," he added. "It's not like I played bad, it's just I felt like every mistake I made, every bad shot, led to a bogey which is going to be costly here. But that back nine I had on Friday was great. I played really, really good golf and I got fortunate to make a few good putts and that's what got everything going.

Rahm was named Rookie of the Year at the start of the week

"Yesterday I played one of the best ball-striking rounds I've ever had. There's not many times where you play a golf course like this and shoot 65, you're two off the lead and you feel like you could have shot a lot lower.

"Today was a little bit of the opposite. I didn't hit it that good compared to the other days, but I kept my composure, didn't make mistakes, had no bogeys, five birdies. I just hoped I was going to have my chances, and that's what happened.

ALL THE FINAL TOTALS AND PRIZEMONEY

1		RAHM, Jon (Spain)	-19	69	68	65	67	0	0	269	1,175,051	€ 1,175,051
	2	APHIBARNRAT Kiradech	THA	-18	69	67	67	67	0	0	270	612,356	€ 612,356
	2	LOWRY Shane	IRL	-18	69	70	68	63	0	0	270	612,356	€ 612,356
	4	BURMESTER Dean	RSA	-17	70	68	65	68	0	0	271	280,845	€ 280,845
	4	FRITTELLI Dylan	RSA	-17	71	68	63	69	0	0	271	280,845	€ 280,845
	4	GARCIA Sergio	ESP	-17	70	69	67	65	0	0	271	280,845	€ 280,845
	4	ROSE Justin	ENG	-17	66	70	65	70	0	0	271	280,845	€ 280,845
	8	HATTON Tyrrell	ENG	-16	72	63	69	68	0	0	272	173,306	€ 173,306
	8	SURI Julian	USA	-16	68	68	68	68	0	0	272	173,306	€ 173,306
	10	REED Patrick	USA	-15	65	72	68	68	0	0	273	140,694	€ 140,694
	10	UIHLEIN Peter	USA	-15	71	68	65	69	0	0	273	140,694	€ 140,694
	12	FITZPATRICK Matthew	ENG	-14	67	67	72	68	0	0	274	126,025	€ 126,025
	13	DUBUISSON Victor	FRA	-13	75	67	68	65	0	0	275	110,492	€ 110,492
	13	LI Haotong	CHN	-13	72	69	67	67	0	0	275	110,492	€ 110,492
	13	LORENZO-VERA Mike	FRA	-13	70	72	65	68	0	0	275	110,492	€ 110,492
	13	PAVON Matthieu	FRA	-13	71	70	67	67	0	0	275	110,492	€ 110,492
	17	BJÖRK Alexander	SWE	-12	67	71	67	71	0	0	276	93,285	€ 93,285
	17	FISHER Ross	ENG	-12	71	68	68	69	0	0	276	93,285	€ 93,285
	17	KAYMER Martin	GER	-12	68	72	67	69	0	0	276	93,285	€ 93,285
	17	MOLINARI Francesco	ITA	-12	69	71	68	68	0	0	276	93,285	€ 93,285
	21	CABRERA BELLO Rafa	ESP	-11	73	69	66	69	0	0	277	82,929	€ 82,929
	21	FLEETWOOD Tommy	ENG	-11	73	65	65	74	0	0	277	82,929	€ 82,929
	21	PORTEOUS Haydn	RSA	-11	70	70	69	68	0	0	277	82,929	€ 82,929
	24	LIPSKY David	USA	-10	70	72	64	72	0	0	278	78,523	€ 78,523
	25	DUNNE Paul	IRL	-9	67	70	67	75	0	0	279	74,117	€ 74,117
	25	SHINKWIN Callum	ENG	-9	72	69	66	72	0	0	279	74,117	€ 74,117
	25	SMITH Jordan	ENG	-9	75	67	71	66	0	0	279	74,117	€ 74,117
	28	FOX Ryan	NZL	-8	67	71	73	69	0	0	280	67,507	€ 67,507
	28	SCHWARTZEL Charl	RSA	-8	70	72	67	71	0	0	280	67,507	€ 67,507
	28	WANG Jeunghun	KOR	-8	71	70	70	69	0	0	280	67,507	€ 67,507
	31	GRACE Branden	RSA	-7	72	71	68	70	0	0	281	59,117	€ 59,117
	31	POULTER Ian	ENG	-7	70	69	70	72	0	0	281	59,117	€ 59,117
	31	STERNE Richard	RSA	-7	71	71	66	73	0	0	281	59,117	€ 59,117
	31	WARING Paul	ENG	-7	70	74	70	67	0	0	281	59,117	€ 59,117
	31	ZANOTTI Fabrizio	PAR	-7	67	75	70	69	0	0	281	59,117	€ 59,117
	36	DODT Andrew	AUS	-6	70	77	69	66	0	0	282	50,454	€ 50,454
	36	HORSEY David	ENG	-6	68	76	68	70	0	0	282	50,454	€ 50,454
	36	KJELDSEN Søren	DEN	-6	68	69	70	75	0	0	282	50,454	€ 50,454
	36	LEVY Alexander	FRA	-6	67	76	70	69	0	0	282	50,454	€ 50,454
	36	OLESEN Thorbjørn	DEN	-6	74	68	69	71	0	0	282	50,454	€ 50,454
	36	RAMSAY Richie	SCO	-6	72	72	68	70	0	0	282	50,454	€ 50,454
	42	DRYSDALE David	SCO	-5	73	72	69	69	0	0	283	44,461	€ 44,461
	42	OTAEGUI Adrian	ESP	-5	71	69	70	73	0	0	283	44,461	€ 44,461
	44	LUITEN Joost	NED	-4	73	70	71	70	0	0	284	42,214	€ 42,214
	45	JAMIESON Scott	SCO	-3	76	71	66	72	0	0	285	39,217	€ 39,217
	45	NOREN Alex	SWE	-3	74	69	70	72	0	0	285	39,217	€ 39,217
	45	WIESBERGER Bernd	AUT	-3	71	76	71	67	0	0	285	39,217	€ 39,217
	48	HEND Scott	AUS	-2	66	71	71	78	0	0	286	33,974	€ 33,974
	48	PEPPERELL Eddie	ENG	-2	75	70	66	75	0	0	286	33,974	€ 33,974
	48	SULLIVAN Andy	ENG	-2	68	76	69	73	0	0	286	33,974	€ 33,974
	48	WARREN Marc	SCO	-2	72	76	68	70	0	0	286	33,974	€ 33,974
	52	STORM Graeme	ENG	-1	76	74	66	71	0	0	287	29,479	€ 29,479
	52	WESTWOOD Lee	ENG	-1	75	73	68	71	0	0	287	29,479	€ 29,479
	54	TANIHARA Hideto	JPN	0	73	77	67	71	0	0	288	27,232	€ 27,232
	55	COLSAERTS Nicolas	BEL	+4	68	76	72	76	0	0	292	24,985	€ 24,985
	55	LARRAZÁBAL Pablo	ESP	+4	69	70	74	79	0	0	292	24,985	€ 24,985
	57	WOOD Chris	ENG	+5	70	74	70	79	0	0	293	22,737	€ 22,737
	58	BJERREGAARD Lucas	DEN	+6	75	74	68	77	0	0	294	21,327	€ 21,327
	58	COETZEE George	RSA	+6	70	76	75	73	0	0	294	21,327	€ 21,327
	58	PIETERS Thomas	BEL	+6	74	74	72	74	0	0	294	21,327	€ 21,327