Jon Rahm closed his season with a 72 at the Jumeirah Golf Estates on Sunday, missing all four rounds under 70 on the European tour for the first time since the 2016 Open Championship.
The Spaniard arrived in Dubai with high morale after a victory in Abu Dhabi, El Correo reported. His hopes for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship rested entirely on a victory, but a string of early bogeys derailed his card.
Rahm three-putted the first hole, dropped shots at the second and seventh par-5s, and hit a disappointing iron into the ninth. He managed a lone birdie at the fifth hole before making the turn well outside the top 20.
Tyrrell Hatton secured the tournament title at 15-under par. The English golfer finished ahead of Eugenio Chacarra and Rory McIlroy, who battled for the Race to Dubai Order of Merit during the closing holes.
Rahm Recovers to Finish Tied for 19th
Rahm worked to repair his score on the back nine with three birdies at the 10th, 14th, and 15th holes. His closing stretch included a tee shot into the hazard flanking the 18th green, though he recovered to save par on the final par-5.
The two-time major champion finished the week at 3-under par in a tie for 19th place alongside compatriot David Puig.
His performance contrasted sharply with his dominant outing in Abu Dhabi just one week prior, and this year he has achieved six other notable top-10 finishes: third in January at the Dubai Invitational, seventh at the PGA Championship and the Scottish Open, and more recently, second at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth before his strong finishes in Abu Dhabi (third) and Dubai (second).
Angel Ayora provided a historic highlight during the final round, carding an 8-under 64. That performance marked the fifth-lowest nine-hole score in European tour history.
McIlroy Ties Montgomerie
Rory McIlroy claimed second place at 10-under par to secure his eighth Order of Merit title. The Northern Irishman equaled the record of Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie at the top of the European tour’s historical standings.
McIlroy finished just ahead of Eugenio Chacarra, who mounted a strong campaign across 31 tournaments this season. The Madrid golfer captured three titles on the circuit in Italy, the Netherlands, and India.
Chacarra fell just 125 points short—equivalent to just one more birdie—of becoming the third Spaniard to conquer the Order of Merit following Severiano Ballesteros, who won six titles between 1976 and 1991, and Jon Rahm, who claimed the crown in 2019. His failure to earn ranking points in major championships cost him the race.
Tour Uncertainties Ahead
Rahm confirmed he will not return to competitive play until January. It remains unconfirmed whether his first start of the new year will take place on the PGA Tour or the DP World Tour, El Correo reported.
The Basque golfer holds full membership rights on the European circuit through 2028. He has also expressed interest in representing Continental Europe at the inaugural Team Cup in Abu Dhabi, a Ryder Cup-style event pitting the British Isles against continental Europe for which he is qualified thanks to his sixth-place finish in the Race to Dubai standings.
The DP World Tour announced the final standings following Sunday’s conclusion at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
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