Jon Rahm Wins Again on the DP World Tour; A Setback for Francesco Laporta

Jon Rahm returns to the spotlight on the DP World Tour and wins the Abu Dhabi Championship, claiming victory with a total score of 23 under par. The Spaniard finished ahead of Tyrrell Hatton (-21) and Rory McIlroy (-19), ending a long winless streak on the major traditional tours. In fact, his last victory on either the PGA Tour or the DP World Tour had to be traced back to the 2023 Masters in Augusta, while on the European Tour he hadn’t won since the 2022 Dubai Final.

The Spanish champion made the difference especially on the final day, which he closed with a round of 67. Two extraordinary iron shots on holes 12 and 15 proved decisive, allowing him to pull away in a leaderboard that had remained tightly contested for a long time. For Rahm, this is his sixth victory on the Rolex Series—an all-time record—which also moves him up to sixth place in the Race to Dubai.

“This victory means a lot to me. Aside from the 17th hole, I played really well. The second shot on 15 was decisive. A new chapter is beginning for me,” Rahm said at the end of the tournament.

Tyrrell Hatton finished behind him, carding a bogey-free final round of 68. The Brit remained in contention until the very end but paid the price for his poor putting, failing to convert several birdie opportunities.

Rory McIlroy took third place, finishing the week at -19 after being in contention for the win for much of the tournament. The Northern Irishman got off to a blistering start, gaining three strokes on the first two holes, but a few mistakes at crucial moments prevented him from completing the comeback. In particular, bogeys on holes 3, 6, and 15 compromised his chances of victory.

“I thought I had a chance to win after the birdies on holes 10 and 11, which had put me back in the lead. But I wasn’t able to maintain that momentum. Still, it was a very encouraging week heading into next week’s finale,” McIlroy explained.

Despite finishing third, the Northern Irishman can take pride in a week marked by a career-high 30 total birdies and, above all, his progress in the Race to Dubai. McIlroy has, in fact, closed the gap on Eugenio Chacarra—who finished only 22nd in Abu Dhabi—and will head into the DP World Tour Championship aiming to claim his eighth title of the season in the European Tour standings.

Fourth place went to Italy’s Francesco Laporta, who finished the tournament at -17 after remaining among the top contenders for the win for much of the tournament. Hampered by a blister on his foot, the Italian lost ground toward the end of the round, carding a bogey on the 12th hole and, more significantly, a costly triple bogey on the 13th—a par 3 that definitively derailed his hopes for victory.

Attention now shifts to Dubai, where the DP World Tour Championship will award the season-ending title. Rahm will try to confirm his return to the top level, while McIlroy will look to capitalize on the final event to complete his comeback in the Race to Dubai.