Jon Rahm soared to the top of the European Tour’s Race to Dubai after sensationally securing a record third Rolex Series title at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Lahinch Golf Club, County Clare, Ireland.
The 24 year old, who won the event in 2017 along with the season-ending DP World Tour Championship later that year, came into the weekend seven shots off the pace but put together two stunning rounds of 64 and 62 to reach a tournament total of 16 under par which was enough for a two-stroke triumph over Bernd Wiesberger and Andy Sullivan.
“I keep saying I love this tournament, country, the people and I feel like I’m at home every time I play in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open,” said Rahm, who seals his spot in the DP World Tour Championship after jumping from 15thto the top of the Race to Dubai Rankings on 2,225.1 points for the season.
“My game was in great form, I just struggled to hole the putts the first two days but the weekend was the complete opposite. I had puts that were rolling in from everywhere! I knew I had to do something special today and my target number was to get to 15 under so to get to 16 under is even better.
“Me and my caddy Adam Hayes did a lot of hard work over the weekend to polish out the mistakes of the first two days and I’m very excited to add my name to this special trophy for the second time.”
Wiesberger’s share of second spot saw him make significant strides on the Rankings with the Austrian jumping from 21stto seventh on the Rankings with 1,571.3 points. Sullivan also made an impressive climb up the Rankings with his best result of the season as the Englishman made his way up to 22ndfrom 88thon 954.9 points.
Meanwhile, Eddie Pepperell, Robert Rock and Dubai based Rafa Cabrera Bello finished a shot further back to finish tied fourth in the second Rolex Series event of the season. Pepperell moves up to 35thfrom 60th, Cabrera Bello climbs to 27thfrom 45thwhile Rock edges closer to the Race to Dubai top 50 after surging from 147thto 70th.
Paul Waring and Jorge Campillo shared seventh spot to both get their hands on 192.5 Race to Dubai points. Waring climbs up 11 spots from 39thto 28thon 852.9 points while Campillo moves from sixth to fifth on 1,647.1.
Zander Lombard, Martin Kaymer, Gavin Green, Mike Lorenzo-Vera and Edoardo Molinari all picked up 131.5 points as they completed the top ten. Lorenzo Vera strengthened his chances of a third consecutive DP World Tour Championship appearance after jumping up to 25thwhile Gavin Green sits on the bubble in 50thplace on the Rankings.
The top 50 players in the Race to Dubai Rankings will contest the season-ending US$8million DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai from November 21-24 where US$3 million will be up for grabs for the winner, making it the richest prize in world tournament golf.
