Jon Rahm Crowned Dubai Champion

Last Updated on November 25, 2019 by Daniel

Jon Rahm was delegated the 2019 Race to Dubai champion after an emotional triumph in the DP World Tour Championship, as the European Tour’s season-long challenge boiled down to a solitary shot.

The 25-year-old Spaniard held off a decided late charge from Tommy Fleetwood to seal his second DP World Tour Championship title in three years and his fourth Rolex Series triumph.

Rahm went into the last round in a portion of the lead with Frenchman Mike Lorenzo Vera, however, he pulled six shots clear after seven gaps. Jon Rahm dropped continuous shots on the eighth and ninth openings and his lead was additionally disintegrated on the back nine as Fleetwood completed with five birdies in his last seven gaps to sign for a 65 and set the objective of 18 under the standard.

That implied Rahm, who had posted two birdies and two intruders after the turn, at that point needed to birdie the last gap for triumph to stay away from a victor takes-all play-off with Fleetwood to choose both the competition and the Race to Dubai. He properly held his nerve with an eminent shelter shot to four feet before abounding in the putt for a 68 to complete on 19 under standard and guarantee the €3 million first prize.

Jon Rahm has now won multiple times in 40 European Tour appearances – two DP World Tour Championships, two Irish Opens, and two Spanish Opens – accomplishing that achievement in 15 fewer occasions than his incredible comrade, the late Seve Ballesteros.

Rahm, who moved to world no.3 with the success, stated: “Man, your fantasy about making birdies on 18 to win a competition. What’s more, how I was playing from the get-go, I was wanting to think not to require that, however, it occurred, and I came through when I required it and extremely glad for myself for that.

“I’ve contemplated winning the Race to Dubai all week. I’ve pondered it for the most recent two hours. I’ve considered it soon as I made the putt. In any case, regardless it hasn’t handled in my brain. It’s an idea in there, however, regardless it has not been disguised.”

Next in line Fleetwood, who likewise completed second in the Race to Dubai rankings, said: “I couldn’t have done substantially more. I’m extremely glad for the manner in which I played the last hardly any openings. Glad for the finish of the period, and these two weeks make the season simply appear from an alternate perspective than it did would a long time before we began.

“Reasonable play for Jon Rahm. That is a breaking birdie down the last when you need to make it. There’s continually going to be a smidgen of dissatisfaction there, however generally, I got myself back in it, and I am extremely glad for the manner in which I played on that back nine. You know, it’s Jon’s time, Jon’s minute, he’s played fantastically well this year.”

Rory McIlroy, who wasn’t able to win the Race to Dubai, couldn’t reproduce the firecrackers of his third cycle 65, as he shut with 73 to complete seven strokes back in the fourth spot on 12 under a standard, with shielding champion Danny Willett a further shot back in fifth after a 69.

Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, who had driven the Race to Dubai going into the season finale, posted a series of 72 to complete in tied 28th on two under the standard. He slipped to the third position in the last rankings, with Shane Lowry and Matt Fitzpatrick finishing the Race to Dubai top five, each winning a portion of the $5 million reward pool.

Final round scores

269 J Rahm 66 69 66 68

270 T Fleetwood 67 68 70 65

271 M Lorenzo-Vera 63 69 69 70

276 R McIlroy 64 74 65 73

277 D Willett 69 72 67 69,

278 T Lewis (Eng) 67 70 73 68, T Pieters (Bel) 70 68 68 72, S Garcia (Esp) 71 73 67 67,

279 M Fitzpatrick (Eng) 71 71 68 69,

280 A Sullivan (Eng) 70 74 67 69, J Scrivener (Aus) 71 72 72 65,

281 S Lowry (Irl) 73 68 70 70, C Bezuidenhout (RSA) 71 67 70 73,

282 R Macintyre (Sco) 71 74 68 69, P Waring (Eng) 71 77 68 66,

283 G Migliozzi (Ita) 73 70 68 72, M Kinhult (Swe) 68 71 68 76,

284 J Campillo (Esp) 73 72 69 70, P Casey (Eng) 73 73 66 72,

285 R Sterne (RSA) 71 72 71 71, J Luiten (Ned) 74 71 68 72, D Lipsky (USA) 72 71 71 71, J Rose (Eng) 69 70 73 73, V Perez (Fra) 73 73 72 67, L Oosthuizen (RSA) 70 70 73 72, R Cabrera Bello (Esp) 68 73 74 70, M Schwab (Aut) 69 73 70 73,

286 M Korhonen (Fin) 72 76 70 68, M Southgate (Eng) 75 71 70 70, M Wallace (Eng) 70 74 69 73, E Van Rooyen (RSA) 71 72 73 70, T Detry (Bel) 69 71 71 75, A Arnaus (Esp) 70 70 72 74, P Reed (USA) 74 68 72 72, B Wiesberger (Aut) 70 71 73 72,

287 J Harding (RSA) 73 73 70 71, J Hansen (Den) 74 73 68 72,

288 L Westwood (Eng) 73 70 74 71, B Hebert (Fra) 70 74 73 71,

289 F Molinari (Ita) 69 76 71 73, R Langasque (Fra) 71 74 71 73, A Rai (Eng) 75 69 76 69,

290 H Li (Chn) 69 77 74 70,

291 I Poulter (Eng) 74 76 70 71, H Stenson (Swe) 74 70 77 70,

292 T Hatton (Eng) 73 79 69 71,

293 J Smith (Eng) 74 73 70 76,

296 K Kitayama (USA) 71 75 77 73,

297 S Hend (Aus) 76 75 73 73, A Pavan (Ita) 77 74 71 75