Jon Rahm reigned for the third time in the Dubai World Cup

Jon Rahm likes Dubai. The player from Barrika completed his fetish tournament double this season on the European circuit (now, officially, DP World Tour) and, after being crowned champion in October at the Spanish Open, won the circuit’s grand final event, the DP World Tour Championship in Dubaia tournament crowned Rory McIlroy as the best of the season.

This is Rahm’s third title in this eventin four participations, and the eighth he achieved in his career on the European circuitall of them at just three venues: three at the Spanish Open, three at this DP World Tour Championship and two at the Irish Open. Jon has accumulated three wins this year, because he certainly won the Spanish Open in the month of October and, in addition, added a victory on the PGA Tour after winning the Mexican Open at the beginning of May. Despite the fact that he has yet to go for success in major events, with a twelfth place finish at the US Open as his best result of the season in the ‘majors’, Rahm finished his 2022 well.

The Barrika player starred this Sunday in Dubai in a round of complete control of the situation. He started the day one stroke ahead of Matt Fitzpatrick and two over Alex Noren, but he never stopped being the sole leader. A meteoric start, with three birdies in the first three holes, allowed him to take control from the top with a minimum two stroke difference over his rivals. This was able to reduce the differences as far as the effect of distance on specific return points, but they’ve never been able to hunt down a Rahm who discourages so well to win again a fetish tournament for him, as he also took it in 2017 and in 2019.

This time it has been crowned with a total of -20two punches ahead Tyrrell Hatton and of alex noren (both -18) and have four leads in a Rory McIlroy (-16) who took his victory in the general of the DP World Tour. The Northern Irishman, playing the ‘Race to Dubai’ with Matthew Fitzpatrick, saw how he finished fifth with -13. Ryan Fox will also be in contention, but he is a long way from going into the final day and the New Zealander finished in nineteenth with -5. So this is the fourth time that McIlroy has won the general of the season on the circuitfollowing his previous wins in 2012, 2014 and 2015.

Although the biggest smiler on the day was undoubtedly Rahm who signed a brilliant Sunday. Six birdies and one bogey They served to increase his record on a day that had been difficult for him to drive many times and where he lived in big turning point on the 13th hole. Alex Noren had him tied three holes before, a stroke difference (-18 to -17). Rahm missed a long birdie putt on a par-3 hole. however, he sent it in while Noren wasted a clearer birdie option and put himself two shots ahead which has not disappeared since then.

Rahm started his lap at top speed. His great long game, with estimates of enormous degree, They served up three good putts for a birdie start that he didn’t waste on a day when he was safe in the short game. In fact, on hole 2, a par five, he had a long putt for eagle.

However, the brilliant initial trend stopped completely at hole 4. An exit in the bunker eliminated Rahm who missed a short putt, but was in a compromising situation, to achieve par. That bogey was followed by two pars after missing the short game until, at the 7th hole, a good chip approach to the green helped him regain confidence in the short game with his fourth birdie of the day. Rahm was at -18 after the 7th hole with a two stroke lead over his rivals.

He adds pars on the following holes, without winning options on 9 and 10 and without converting several birdie putts that would have thrown him on the scoreboard. in the back, Alex Noren is close at -17 against a Rahm who can’t get shots off the field. At least until hole 13, where the trend changed again in favor of the Spaniard. On a par three, with only an exit to the green, Rahm hit a long birdie putt to move to -19. Seconds later, Noren missed a good option to follow his slipstream to stay at -17 which also included Tyrrell Hatton.

Rahm didn’t budge, inaccurate at the start on 14, a par five, which he forced to save after just going to ground in an area of ​​trees at the start. He came out unscathed from a complicated situation to almost sentence the 15th hole with a new birdie after a great approach. Since then, he has insured pairs before the last fear of the 18th

in, He came out of the trees with the threat of losing the ball which even forced him to launch a second in the event of a penalty. Finally, with a two stroke lead then including water for Noren on the 18th, the ball appeared, Rahm had visibility at the start, luck was with him with a boat a short distance from a lake and the Basque even made a great approach to close the birdie.

Rahm’s victory was not the only outstanding result for Spanish golf. Adri Arnaus and Jorge Campillo They finished in the top 10. Both posted a -10 overall to share ninth place on a day in which they both finished under par. Arnaus, with one eagle, five birdies and two bogeys for -4 on the day; Campillo, with four birdies and three bogeys to win by one more hit on the field.

Following this are the three other Spanish participants. Adrian Otaegui He was sixteenth at -6 after a good finish back to sign off with six birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey on the day. Rafael CabreraMeanwhile, he was thirty-four, par for the day and overall after four birdies and four bogeys at the finish. For his part, Pablo Larrazabal He finished forty-seventh with +7 after finishing at least with a good feeling of -3 on the day after five birdies and two bogeys.

McIlroy, champion of the ‘Race to Dubai’

Rahm prevailed with a two stroke lead Tyrrell Hatton and about alex noren, who finished second at -18. The Englishman carded seven birdies and a bogey in the final round, while the Swede, for most of the round the main chaser of the Spaniard, achieved six birdies and a bogey on the day to tie for shared second place.

Although the day had another winner in the figure of Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman, who started the day in a tie for fourth place three shots behind Rahm, was unable to compete for the tournament, but he won the match against Matthew Fitzpatrick to take the ‘Race to Dubai’, the time classification of the European circuit. McIlroy had six birdies and two bogeys on the day to finish fourth. He could not be fully involved in the fight for the victory of the week, but he took the juicy prize that identifies him as the best of the campaign.

so with that fourth annual qualifier win, McIlroy He established himself as one of the best players ever on the European circuit. Equivalent to four times he won this rank (then Order of Merit) Peter Oosterhuis and it’s only late at eight o’clock Colin Montgomery and from six o’clock Seve Ballesteros.

Referring to this World Cup in Dubai, from behind, Matthew Fitzpatrick he finished fifth after an uneventful day with four birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey and was unable to match that victory in the general classification, where he started at a disadvantage compared to McIlroy. Fitzpatrick shared fifth place in the tournament with Tommy Fleetwood, who had five birdies and two bogeys. With no options to enter the fight for the general classification, New Zealander Ryan Fox is nineteenth with -5.

Final classification (par 72)

1. Jon Rahm (Spain) 268 (70-66-65-67)
2. Tyrrell Hatton (England) 270 (65-67-72-66)
2. Alex Noren (Sweden) 270 (66-69-68-67)
4. Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) 272 (71-68-65-68)
5. Matthew Fitzpatrick (England) 275 (65-67-70-73)
5. Tommy Fleetwood (England) 275 (68-70-68-69)
7. Rasmus Hojgaard (Denmark) 277 (68-70-72-67)
7. Adrian Meronk (Poland) 277 (70-71-65-71)
9. Adri Arnaus (Spain) 278 (67-68-75-68)
9. Jorge Campillo (Spain) 278 (71-65-71-71)
…
16. Adrian Otaegui (Spain) 282 (71-68-72-71)
34. Rafael Cabrera (Spain) 288 (75-71-70-72)
47. Pablo Larrazábal (Spain) 295 (69-79-78-69)