Jon Rahm has blitzed his way into the top ten of the DP World Tour Rankings in partnership with Rolex after another dominant win at the acciona Open de España presented by Madrid.
Rahm carded a stunning final-round 62 to finish on an astonishing score of 25 under and six shots clear of closest challenger Frenchman Matthieu Pavon.
The 27-year-old Spaniard went five under for his closing six holes to ensure the title and a subsequent move from 18th to tenth in the season-long Rankings. Rahm also matched Seve Ballesteros in winning the event three times in the modern era.
“You might need to ask me in a few days because I take quite a while to process these things,” Rahm responded when asked about equalling Ballesteros.
“It was the goal coming in; Seve is a great hero of mine and to do something he took his whole career to do in just a few years is quite humbling.
“It’s emotional. Going up the 18th hole I knew what was about to happen and to get it done like that, I can’t describe it.
“He (Seve) wasn’t really somebody I really thought of that much until I got better at golf, because obviously I wasn’t good until I was like 13 or 14 and when I started getting better, I learned a lot about him and what he did.
“I’ve spoken many times about that 1997 Ryder Cup and Seve making the win that week. Some friends of my dad’s started me playing golf, otherwise who knows what else I’d be and I’m here because of that alone, and everything else is down to the path that he’s paved for so many of us.”
The two-time Ryder Cup star is now set to feature at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai next month.
The top 50 players on the DP World Tour Rankings at the conclusion of the Nedbank Golf Challenge will secure a spot at Jumeirah Golf Estates on November 17-20.
Alongside Rahm, 39 other players also earned a boost in the Rankings following their performance in Madrid.
Pavon’s second place finish elevated him 22 spots from 54th to 32nd, while Australia’s Min Woo Lee enjoyed a healthy rise from 88th to 62nd following a third-place finish.
Germany’s Yannik Paul was the only other player alongside Pavon to move inside the all-important top 50.
The 28-year-old finished in a tie for eighth place on Sunday as he looks to secure his debut at the season finale in Dubai.
The DP World Tour moves on this week to the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters at Real Club Valderrama in Sotogrande, Spain.
The event is set to take place from October 13-16 with U.S. Open Champion Matt Fitzpatrick back to defend his title following his three-shot victory last year.
