Jon Rahm closed out the Abu Dhabi Championship with a final round 67 to secure victory by two strokes, marking his first European Tour win since leaving the LIV Golf circuit last month. The Spaniard finished on 23-under-par 265, holding off Tyrrell Hatton, who carded a 68, and Rory McIlroy, who ended two shots further back.
Rahm began the final day one stroke ahead of Hatton and Francesco Laporta, with McIlroy another shot behind. He birdied three holes on the front nine and matched that on the back nine, overcoming a bogey at the third to avoid dropping any further strokes. “As far as I’m concerned, apart from the tee-shot at 17 it was a pretty flawless back nine. It was really, really solid,” Rahm said after the round.
The victory was especially significant for Rahm, who will turn 32 on Tuesday and had not played well in his last DP World Tour event, finishing last when excluding withdrawals. “It means a lot,” he said. “I'm almost not letting myself believe it because it's been quite a while since I played good in a DP World Tour event.”
Rahm’s return to the DP World Tour followed his departure from the bankrupt LIV Golf tour, where he had played since earlier this year. The win came after a period of rest and adjustment, including welcoming the birth of his fourth child in October. “After everything that's gone on and some poor play, battles mentally with the noise, to come back out after a little bit of rest and having a new addition to the family, it’s special,” he said.
The lead changed hands early in the round when McIlroy started with a birdie and an eagle, briefly overtaking Rahm. However, Rahm regained the lead at the third hole and never lost it again, though he shared it temporarily with Laporta, McIlroy, and Hatton as late as the 11th hole. Laporta faded with three dropped shots over two holes, while Rahm pulled clear with birdies on 12 and 15.
Hatton’s runner-up finish ensures his place at next week’s World Tour Championship in Dubai. McIlroy’s third-place effort lifted him to second in the DP World Tour rankings behind Eugenio Chacarra, who finished 22nd at Abu Dhabi and is chasing a record-equalling eighth Harry Vardon Trophy.
Rahm’s successful return to the European stage, following his exit from LIV Golf, signals a new chapter as he re-establishes himself in the DP World Tour spotlight.
According to Yahoo Sports.