(Los Angeles) Spaniard Jon Rahm won the LIV season finale in Chicago on Sunday to claim the overall title on the Saudi-backed tour, with $18 million up for grabs.
The 2021 US Open and 2023 Masters winner, who joined the breakaway league last December, claimed his second victory in the last three tournaments after finishing runner-up to American Brooks Koepka in a playoff at LIV Golf Greenbrier in August.
Rahm, who has never finished outside the top 10 in 11 events, arrived at the Bolingbrook Golf Course near Chicago this week with only one rival for the final victory being Chilean Joaquin Niemann, twice crowned this season.
After a six-under-par second round on Saturday, the Spaniard took a one-shot lead over compatriot Sergio Garcia heading into the final round, with Niemann three lengths behind as he needed to finish ahead of Rahm to claim the prize.
Rahm birdied the third, sixth and 10th holes, and after missing a few birdie chances, he closed with a birdie on the 17th, posting a final round of 4-under par for a total of 11-under par after 54 holes.
“I’m very happy to have played as well as I did. Not having made a bogey during the weekend, only one bogey during the whole tournament, it’s pretty spectacular,” rejoiced the 29-year-old golfer.
PHOTO MATT MARTON, USA TODAY SPORTS
Jon Rahm
In addition to his $18 million season champion bonus, the Basque player pocketed $4 million for the entire tournament.
Rahm now aims to play a trio of DP World Tour tournaments, the European Tour, in order to retain his eligibility for the Ryder Cup in September 2025.
He said Wednesday he was not prepared to pay fines imposed by the DP World Tour on golfers who fail to obtain the necessary permits to play LIV events that conflict with European Tour tournaments.
Rahm has reportedly appealed the fines and, with the pending proceedings, will be allowed to compete in the Spanish Open later this month.