Jon Rahm makes his opinion clear about Yas Links ahead of Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship

Dubai: Jon Rahm has praised the condition of Yas Links after his first practice round ahead of the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, describing the course as one of the best he has encountered.

The two-time major champion is making his first appearance in Abu Dhabi and arrived in the capital on Monday. He is also playing for a place in next week’s DP World Tour Championship, sitting 51st in the Race to Dubai rankings, with only the top 50 qualifying for the season finale.

“It’s in about as good shape as you can expect a golf course to be,” Rahm said in a press release. “Not a blade of grass out of place. Firm, but reactive in a consistent way. It was truly enjoyable.”

Rahm also claimed that everyone has been telling him about how the golf course is in great shape and has a lot of movement to the greens.

The Spaniard, currently ranked 15th in the world, believes he needs a solid week rather than a standout performance to secure qualification.

“I know I need to play well but I don’t think I need a stellar effort to make it to next week,” he said.

Rahm has a strong record in the UAE, having won the DP World Tour Championship three times, in 2017, 2019 and 2022. However this will be his first competition in Abu Dhabi as his previous wins came in Dubai.

Rahm believes it’s up to the player to adapt to the course, not the other way round by claiming: “I think nowadays, we get very caught up on a golf course fitting a player, where I think as players, it’s our duty to adjust to the golf course and the conditions.”

The Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship runs from November 5 to 8 at Yas Links, with the top 70 available players competing for 50 places in the season-ending event.