LOS ANGELES: Spain’s Jon Rahm fired four birdies — including a 12-footer at the 17th — to win LIV Golf Chicago on Sunday and clinch the Saudi-backed circuit’s individual season title worth $18 million.
The two-time major winner from Spain, who made the jump to the breakaway league last December, captured his second victory in the past three events, sandwiched around a runner-up finish to Brooks Koepka in a playoff at LIV Golf Greenbrier in August.
Rahm, who hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in 11 events, arrived at Bolingbrook Golf Course near Chicago this week with Joaquin Niemann — a two-time winner this season — his only rival for the season title.
After a six-under-par second round on Saturday, Rahm took a one-shot lead over compatriot Sergio Garcia into the final round, with Niemann three adrift and needing to finish in front of Rahm to bag the individual champion’s bonus.
Rahm had birdies at the third, sixth and 10th holes, and after letting a couple of birdie chances go begging, he sealed it with his birdie at 17, carding a four-under final round for a 54-hole total of 11-under par.
“I woke up really nervous today,” Rahm said. “I wanted to do a really good show and get it over the line. Just really happy I played as good as I did.
“To go bogey-free on the weekend, one bogey all tournament, it’s quite spectacular,” he said. “I’m very proud of the putt on 17, which made 18 a lot, a lot, easier.”
In addition to his $18 million champion’s bonus he bagged $4 million for the tournament win.
He finished three shots better than Niemann, whose four-under final gave him an eight-under total that left him tied for second with Garcia.
The LIV season concludes next week with the team championship in Dallas.
After that, Rahm has his sights set on playing a trio of DP World Tour events to maintain his Ryder Cup eligibility.
He said Wednesday he was unwilling to pay the fines levied by the DP World Tour on golfers who fail to obtain releases to play in LIV events that conflict with tour tournaments.
Rahm has reportedly appealed the fines, and as that process plays out would be eligible to tee up at the Spanish Open later this month.
Rahm wins LIV Golf Chicago and 2024 individual crown
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Rahm wins LIV Golf Chicago and 2024 individual crown
- It was his second victory in the past three events, sandwiched around a runner-up finish to Brooks Koepka in a playoff at LIV Golf Greenbrier in August
- In addition to his $18 million champion’s bonus, Rahm bagged $4 million for the tournament win
Thompson seizes lead on second day of Saudi Open
- 5 Arab players, including Saudi Arabia’s Al-Kurdi and Morocco’s Bresnu, make the weekend cut
RIYADH: Australian Jack Thompson put to rest any doubts that he would not keep his Asian Tour card for next year by charging into the lead at the halfway mark of the Saudi Open presented by PIF.
And in a boost for the Middle East, Saudi Arabia’s Shergo Al-Kurdi and Moroccan amateur Adam Bresnu were among five regional competitors to make the cut into the weekend.
They qualified alongside the UAE’s Joshua Grenville-Wood, Qatar’s Daniil Sokolov and El-Mehdi Fakori, also of Morocco.
Thompson carded a seven-under-par 65 to take a one-shot lead at the season-ending event, at Dirab Golf & Country Club just outside Riyadh.
Swede Bjorn Hellgren, playing in the same group, also fired a 65, to sit in second place while Malaysia’s Ervin Chang (64), and Runchanapong Youprayong (66) from Thailand are another stroke back.
Thompson started the week in 62nd place on the Tour’s Order of Merit, with the top-65 keeping their cards next year. He is comfortably on course to make it through with a win predicted to catapult him into seventh place.
However, there remains a long way to go and the 28-year-old from Adelaide, chasing his first win on the Asian Tour, is not getting ahead of himself.
“I mean, it’s fun to be up the top and playing because sometimes if you just make the cut or whatever, you know, obviously you’re happy to play four rounds.
“But sometimes it can be pointless, make a birdie, and might move you up a couple spots. But it’s always fun to play when it means something. So, yeah, very lucky.”
Japan’s Kazuki Higa, the Asian Tour Order of Merit leader, took a huge stride forward to finishing the year ranked No. 1 by shooting a 66 to sit five back of the leader, in joint ninth.
It means Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, in second place on the Merit list and five-under for the tournament after a 69, when he played with Higa, needs to either win the tournament or finish second to overtake the Japanese star.
Saudi Arabia’s Al-Kurdi produced a one-under-par round to move to four-under for the tournament and secure his place for the weekend. “I felt like I had it a lot better today.
“I did a little bit of work last night, just a little bit on the scoring. I still need to work on my approach game, a little bit on proximity. I might change the plan on a couple of holes.
“It is just a couple of funky tee shots where I need to build a better plan regarding the wind. But I am in a good position. I just need to stick to the plan and take good shots.”
Meanwhile, Morocco’s Bresnu signed for a round of 72 to stay at six-under-par overall, keeping himself well positioned heading into the final two days of the Saudi Open. “Today was a little bit tough for me,” he said.
“It was not like yesterday, but in golf it is never the same, that is the beauty of it. I had seven pars and missed four birdie chances inside nine feet (2.7 meters), so it was hard, but I stayed patient.
“The course was in great condition but really tough. I still have two rounds to go, and I am glad I made the cut. We will see.”
