It’s a big week for Jon Rahm who is in pole position to end the season as the top-ranked player on the LIV circuit and with it, the $18 million first-place bonus.
The former world number one and two-time major champion has only won once since his earth shattering move last December, but apart from being forced to withdraw from LIV Houston, has yet to finish outside the top 10 in his 11 LIV starts.
Only Chilean Joaquin Niemann who won two of the first three events of 2024 is capable of overtaking Rahm and claiming the top prize, but it’s another issue that has the Spaniard in the spotlight and it’s one that has all those with vested interests in the Ryder Cup on tenterhooks.
The Acciona Open de España is scheduled for September 26 at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid in the Spanish capital, and it was widely believed that Rahm would take his place in the field in his efforts to maintain his DP World Tour membership and remain eligible for selection by Luke Donald for the September 2025 date at Bethpage in New York.
The Olympic Games counts as the first of Rahm’s four required regular DP World Tour starts, and as a three-time Open de España winner and a proud Spaniard to boot, that seemed like an ideal fit for start number two.
But the deadline is fast approaching and at the time of writing, he has yet to commit. There is still time to fulfil the quota, with the Dunhill Links, Andalucía Masters, French Open and Genesis Championship in Korea all scheduled in the run up to the DP World Tour Playoffs which are comprised of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
Currently ranked 118th on the Race to Dubai, only the top 70 will make it Abu Dhabi and only the top 50 to the season ending showpiece in Dubai, so leaving it until the last regular event or two would be a risky strategy and one that would be a severe blow to European Ryder Cup hopes were it to backfire.
Luke Donald remains hopeful that Rahm will make the necessary starts, and said as much at the recent Betfred British Masters at the Belfry.
“I’ve had many conversations with Jon,” Donald told the media present. “He knows what the deal is. Nothing has changed from last year. He knew when he signed for LIV what the policies were on the DP World Tour. You have to play your four per all the policies you can pay the fines or appeal like some of the guys have. He knows that. It’s up to him to do that.
“He certainly mentioned at the PGA Championship he was willing to do whatever it took to commit to me and the team. I hope that happens.”
Rahm’s Legion XIII teammate, good friend and former Ryder Cup partner Tyrrell Hatton is in a similar boat as he sits outside the top 70, though Hatton’s presence at the British Masters was a much clearer statement of intent and having played the Dubai Desert Classic earlier in the year, requires just two more DP World Tour starts which he intends to make in Spain and at the Dunhill Links.
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