Bernie McGuire . Jumeirah Estates, Dubai
Jon Rahm ended his DP World Tour season on a multiple winning note, capturing a third Tour DP World Tour Championship (DPWTC) in four Dubai appearances and also a second DP World Tour title in succession with his comprehensive two-shot win in the season-ender in Dubai.
Rahm won the DPWTC first in 2017 again in 2019 and now for a third occasion three years later.
It was just last month the super Spaniard toasted a Spanish Open victory in Madrid that also was his third success this year following his Mexico Open victory in May.
Rahm was slow out of the opening round blocks on the Earth course, posting a two-under-par 70 but from there on it was Rahm as his powerhouse best producing a second round 66 and then muscling his way to two-shot lead on day three. Then if there was any doubt Rahm may falter he erased that in starting with a hat-trick of birdies ahead of capturing a third DPWTC title along with a 16th pro career victory.
“It’s very special. I said that I feel like that I’m defending the title three years ago that I couldn’t come and defend. Proud of myself for that and how well I’ve done, especially on the weekend,” he said.
“It’s pretty unusual for me to win a tournament driving it as bad as I did, and to have the other parts of my game carry me to my win, it’s something really special. I managed it really well, and I felt really comfortable on the greens made a couple of clutch putts; a switch that, you know, for a year where I’ve been hearing my putting has been bad, it feels really amazing to get it done like that.
“It’s also great to win again here in Dubai, as I feel fairly confident on the golf course. Obviously I’m not thinking about the statistics while I’m playing, but yeah — best way to say it, for some reason, every time I’m on the tee box, I’m confident, I’m confident in my swing and it clearly showed in my golf.”
However, Rahm went into a downbeat mood when it was suggested to him that his victory will see him remain at No. 5 on the World Rankings. Of course, Rahm declared the re-worked Rankings ‘laughable’, and now a few days later he was much in the same mood.
“I mean, I beat amazing players today. I don’t know if I can add any more to what I said. Maybe I was too far back, I don’t know. I’ve gone second, first, fourth, second — first, sorry, and I have not changed my World Ranking. I don’t know if that explains what I meant the other day but it should,” he said
“I feel like it gets to a point where your play should start to be rewarded — especially when I play — I understand why they did the changes they made where it would be a perfect system and every single field is 150 — I’ll say one more time, we don’t get the same points for our win here, it’s a bit of a joke.”
And I asked Rahm if he felt the disabled professionals, who had been competing on the same Earth course for three earlier rounds, should also be compensated for their efforts, and Rahm was very much in agreeance.
“They should be paid,” said Rahm. “They are on TV, right? They should, yeah. Well deserved. It’s hard enough to play golf for normal people, and it’s even harder to play golf when you have some type of disability. I’m decently close with Juan Postigo, and to see him hit the golf ball is one of the most amazing things you’ll ever see on a golf course. How good he can hit it, how far he can hit it one-legged is truly incredible.
“I hope they keep this initiative and they keep it going because I truly think it is a wonderful thing to have something like that for them but yeah, there should be some prize. Some of them have actual sponsors and put in the time, and I think it would only be fair for them to get paid.”
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