Two-time Major champion Jon Rahm moved a step closer to securing his spot in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai after finishing runner-up at the Spanish Open.
The Spaniard’s birdie-birdie finish left him tied with compatriot Angel Hidalgo at 14 under par after 72 holes at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Both players birdied the first extra hole but after Rahm's chip slipped past the second time, Hidalgo holed a two-foot putt for victory to claim his maiden DP World Tour title.
The event marked Rahm’s first regular DP World Tour start since joining LIV Golf in December, with his runner-up finish banking him some much-needed points in the Race to Dubai Rankings.
With the 555 points picked up in homeland, Rahm soared up 84 places in the standings, moving up to 41st and within the cut-off for both the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and DP World Tour Championship – a tournament he has won a record three times.
The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship will welcome the top 70 golfers on the Race to Dubai, while the DP World Tour Championship invites the top 50.
“Thinking that on Tuesday morning I was still in the hospital in another country, on the other side of the Atlantic, in the end, I’m happy,” said Rahm, who welcomed his third child into the world last week.
“It's a pity to have lost in the playoff and not have been able to do better today.
“I can't say it has been a bad week. I gave myself a chance to win, which is what I wanted. I gave it my all until the end, and I'm proud of myself.”
Rahm now turns his attention to this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, where he can continue to make inroads into securing his place in the DP World Tour Play-Offs.
