Jon Rahm became just the second Spaniard to be crowned European No. 1 after victory in the DP World Tour Cham

JON Rahm was left overwhelmed after he claimed his first Race to Dubai, earning $5m in the process.

But it was not the life-changing sum in prize money – including the biggest single sum for winning a golf tournament anywhere in the world that stunned the Spaniard.

It was the fact that in all the commotion of his second win at Greg Norman’s Earth Course – pocketing the $3million for winning the DP World Tour Championship for a second time in Dubai – he had not realised he had become just the second Spanish player to be crowned European No. 1 and win the Harry Vardon Trophy.

When Sky TV’s Tim Barter pointed it out in his interview after holing the winning putt, Rahm, who is very focused on matching his hero’s Ballesteros’ achievements and records, was genuinely shocked to learn he had finished ahead of Tommy Fleetwood on the Race to Dubai.

“Really?” Rahm reacted. “Oh man I do not believe it.”

Even later when facing the world’s media, the new champions was still struggling to come to terms with his new found status.

Jon Rahm said: “It’s just hard to put that in perspective to know that since Seve, I’m the next one to get it done.

“I mean, I can put the words, but it just doesn’t feel like it’s true. It’s hard to believe.”

“Sergio has been a great Spanish champion for years, a major winner. Ollie, two-time major championship winner. Miguel Angel Jimenez has done a great job, as well.

“Alvaro Quiros has won this event. So many great players throughout the history of Spain that have had a chance and they didn’t get it done.

“Man, you dream of making birdies on 18 to win a tournament.

“And how I was playing early on, I was hoping not to need that, but it happened, and I came through when I needed it and really proud of myself for that.

“I’ve thought about it (winning the Race to Dubai) all week. I’ve thought about it the last two hours.

“I’ve thought about it as soon as I made the putt. But it still hasn’t processed in my mind.

“It’s a thought in there it still has not been internalised.

“It’s really so hard to believe that some of the greatest champions in European and Spanish golf haven’t been able to accomplish what I have in just three years.

“That’s what I can’t really put my mind into.”

The Spaniard held off a determined late charge from Lancashire’s Fleetwood to seal his second DP World Tour Championship title in three years – and his fourth Rolex Series victory – at Jumeirah Golf’s Earth Course.

At one point, Rahm had been on cruise control, racking up a six-shot lead after just seven holes thanks to four birdies as shock 36-hole leader Michael Lorenzo-Vera finally stumbled.

Rahm had a six-shot lead after seven holes but eventually won by just a shot. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

But 25-year-old Rahm dropped consecutive shots on the eighth and ninth and his lead was further eroded on the back nine as Fleetwood finished with five birdies in his final seven holes to sign for a 65

That set the clubhouse target at 18-under.

It meant Rahm, who had posted two birdies and two bogeys after the turn, then had to birdie the last hole for victory to avoid a winner-takes-all play-off with Fleetwood to decide both the tournament and the Race to Dubai.

He duly held his nerve with a superb bunker shot to four feet before rolling in the putt for a 68 to finish on 19-under.

Jon Rahm has now won six times in 40 European Tour appearances – two DP World Tour Championships, two Dubai Duty Free Irish Opens and his home Open de España on two occasions – achieving that milestone in 15 fewer events that the legendary Ballesteros.

Runner-up Fleetwood finished second in the Race to Dubai after winning the Nedbank Golf Challenge a week earlier, at Sun City (see below).

Lorenzo-Vera posted a closing 70 to finish third on 17-under to move into a career-best 19^th position on the Race to Dubai.

World No. 2 Rory McIlroy could not replicate the fireworks of his third round 65 as a 73 left the FedEx Cup winner seven strokes back in fourth place on 12-under.

Yorkshire’s defending champion Danny Willett was a further shot back in fifth after a 69.

Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, who had led the Race to Dubai going into the season finale, posted a round of 72 to finish in tied 28^th position on two-under.

He slipped to third position in the final rankings, with Ireland’s Shane Lowry and Sheffield’s Matthew Fitzpatrick completing the Race to Dubai top five, each earning a share of the $5million bonus pool.

•For the final scores in the DP World Tour Championship click here.

Fleetwood’s praise for Ryder Cup team-mate

DP World Tour Championship runner-up Tommy Fleetwood praised Ryder Cup team-mate Rahm as his bid to win a second Race to Dubai in three years came up short.

The 29-year-old, who took his young son Franklin to the practice ground while Rahm played the 18^th, said: “I couldn’t have done much more, really.

“You know, some of the putts I hit, some of the shots I hit coming down the stretch, it started looking like I could get back in it or might have a chance.

“I’m proud, really, of the way I played the last few holes. Proud of the end of the season, and these two weeks make the season just seem in a different light than it did would weeks before we started.

“Fair play to Jon. That’s a cracking birdie down the last when you have to make it.

“There’s always going to be a little bit of disappointment there, but for the most part, I got myself back in it, and I am very proud of the way I played on that back nine.

“You know, it’s Jon’s time, Jon’s moment, he’s played unbelievable this year. I’m just happy with my week.”

Fleetwood had reignited his hopes of a second European No. 1 crown with victory in a play-off against Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult at the Nedbank – his first win since Abu Dhabi two years ago in January – a week earlier.

The post Jon Rahm cleans up in Dubai with $5m prize and first Race to Dubai title to match Seve appeared first on Golf North.

Rory McIlroy cannot win a fourth Race to Dubai this week, but the World No. 2 has his eyes firmly on the $3m first prize at the DP World Tour Championship, at Jumeirah’s Earth Course. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

RORY McIlroy and defending champion Danny Willett are hoping to sign off their impressive personal 2019 campaigns in style at the European Tour’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.

World No. 2 McIlroy has won four times globally during the calendar year.

But his decision no to rejoin the European Tour until after the Masters – and to skip last week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge – means he cannot claim the 2019 Race to Dubai title for a fourth time this week.

McIlroy goes into the week in sixth place on the Race to Dubai and is targeting a 15th European Tour title, and with it the $3million winner’s cheque – the richest first prize in tournament golf anywhere in the world.

But after spending the first four months of the season based in the States, McIlroy, who had been in lengthy discussions with European Tour chief Keith Pelley, only became a member after he had played in the first two World Golf Championship events.

McIlroy, who has won nearly €40million in his European Tour career alone, finished runner-up in Mexico, in February, winning almost €1m – but crucially received no Race to Dubai points.

His 21st place finish at Augusta, also failed to earn any Race to Dubai points but between the three tournaments, Rory would have been 1,726 points better off on the Race to Dubai.

Rory is now 2,039 points behind current leader Bernd Wiesberger – and after the Nedbank result, only four other players can catch the Austrian and land the $2million bonus for winning the Race to Dubai after the eighth and final Rolex Series tournament at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Those four are Open Champion Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood – last week’s winner at Sun City – Yorkshire’s Matt Fitzpatrick, who won the DP World Tour Championship three years ago, and Spaniard John Rahm, who who won this event two years ago.

McIlroy said: “I’ve been coming back here for 10 years now. I remember my first year here, battling Lee Westwood to the finish to win the Race to Dubai.

“It’s been a great 10 years. The golf course has been getting better and better and the event itself, the clubhouse and how mature everything is.

“It is a much bigger event than it was back then,” added McIlroy, who has former Ulster rugby player Niall O’Connor on the bag, with Harry Diamond staying in Belfast, having just become a father for the first time.

“If you have length, it can be advantage, but we have the top 50 guys here and they know what it takes to play well,” said Rory, who intends to take the next four weeks off at his Florida home, before spending Christmas with his family in Belfast.

“It’s going to be a fun week for get out there with Niall on the bag and hopefully I can play well the first few days and you know, we’ll get into the heat of battle hopefully on the weekend.

“That will be something that will be fun for both of us,” Rory said about 32-year-old Niall, a close friend, who works at a New York equity firm.

“I’ll maybe take on a little bit more responsibility than I usually do and jot stuff down.

“It feels a little bit like when Harry first came on the bag a couple years ago, right. I took on a little more responsibility, writing stuff in my yardage book and pacing stuff out. I actually quite enjoy that part, as well.

“You know what, it will be fun. Obviously Niall and I go back a long way, so yeah, for me at this point it’s just about trying to stay as relaxed and as loose as possible out there. And he can definitely do that for me.”

McIlroy won on his most recent start in the WGC-HSBC Champions in China three weeks ago.

Wby Danny Willett was so relieved after DP World Tour win a year ago

Meanwhile defending champion Willett backed up his win 12 months ago with a second Rolex Series title in the BMW PGA Championship, in September.

Like Willett, McIlroy has previous success at Jumeriah Golf Estates, having claimed the title in 2012 and 2015 with a further five top 10 finishes in his nine appearances.

That is also the aim for Willett, who won by two shots from Matt Wallace and Patrick Reed last year, as he seeks to become the first player since Henrik Stenson in 2013/14 to defend the DP World Tour Championship title.

Willett, a winner at Wentworth two months ago, said: “It’s always nice to come back and defend anywhere in the world.

“For it to be the final event of the year in Dubai, obviously with the new format – 50 guys here and a really strong field again – it’s good fun.

“I’m sure we’ll get four great days of golf, four exciting days of golf for everyone that comes up. Hopefully on Sunday we’re in a similar position.

“Last year, we weren’t sure if we were going to win again with all the injuries, and it was nice to come back and do it on such a big stage against such a great field.

“Obviously coming down the stretch with Patrick Reed and Jon Rahm posting scores, just to prove to myself that when I get in contention, I’m pretty good at closing out golf tournaments.

“Obviously after everything that happened, it was, a pretty special moment, especially with all the family here and friends.

“Any win in your career is a pretty special moment, but yeah, the bigger the event and the bigger the emotion, always makes it feel even better.”

•For tee times for Thursday’s first round in the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, click here.

The post McIlroy puts mate Niall on bag as he sets sights on $3m DP World Tour title in Dubai appeared first on Golf North.