DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Jon Rahm is $5 million richer after winning both the season-ending World Tour Championship and the Race to Dubai title on Sunday.
The world No. 5 got up and down from a greenside bunker for birdie at the 18th hole to win the tournament by a stroke from Tommy Fleetwood, who also would have become European No. 1 with a win on the Earth Course.
Rahm, who started the final round tied for the lead with Mike Lorenzo-Vera, led by six shots after birdying five of his first seven holes.
However, Fleetwood – playing one group ahead – birdied five of his last seven holes, with his tap-in birdie at No. 18 giving him a 7-under 65 and tying for the lead with Rahm as the Spaniard was putting on the 17th green.
Rahm’s birdie putt there came up a few centimeters short so he needed a birdie on the par-5 last to finish ahead of Fleetwood. His drive was perfect, his approach found the bunker, but he chipped out to 4 feet and rolled in the putt for a 68 as Fleetwood watched in the scorer’s tent.
Rahm, who was 19 under overall, earned $3 million for winning the event, and a bonus of $2 million for winning the Race to Dubai.
Rahm is only the second Spaniard to finish a season as European Tour’s No. 1 player, after the late Seve Ballesteros.
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
