Former World No.1 and 2023 Masters champion Jon Rahm claimed the individual title in his first season as a LIV Golf League player.
Jon Rahm secured an $18m bonus for claiming the individual championship of LIV Golf’s third campaign nine months after his high-profile move.
Rahm joined the Saudi-backed breakaway for a reported ยฃ450m ($566.6m) last December and has finished in the top-10 of every event he has played.
The 2023 Masters champion took down LIV Golf Chicago on Sunday, winning by a margin of three strokes over Joaquin Niemann at Bolingbrook Golf Club.
Rahm carded a final round of 4-under 66 which was good enough to seal the win and also claim the mega bonus for winning the individual title.
Dustin Johnson was the individual champion in LIV’s ‘beta-test’ 2022 season whilst Talor Gooch scooped the honour 12 months ago.
Today was a special day in many ways,” Rahm said.
“I woke up today really nervous, as I thought I would, and even warming up I told Adam [Hayes, his caddie], ‘Man, I am really nervous.’
“But then I started thinking [that I was] playing with Sergio and Brooks and the last time [we played together] it was a good Sunday in Valderrama.”
LIV Golf Chicago: Final leaderboard
J. Rahm | -11 |
J. Niemann | -8 |
S. Garcia | -8 |
T. Hatton | -7 |
I. Poulter | -6 |
B. DeChambeau | -5 |
A. Lahiri | -5 |
H. Stenson | -5 |
B. Koepka | -5 |
L. Herbert | -4 |
He added: “I’m just really happy to have played as good as I did. I mean, to have made one bogey all tournament is quite spectacular.
“I am very pleased with my performance today and particularly proud of the putt I made on the 17th hole, which made the 18th hole much easier to play.”
Rahm’s win occurred just three days after he managed to maintain his hopes of participating in the 2025 Ryder Cup by contesting the fines he received on the DP World Tour after joining LIV.
The individual from Spain had to decide between paying his fines or challenging them in order to participate in the three DP World Tour events required to maintain his membership on the European-based tour and qualify for the Ryder Cup.
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Rahm stated that he did not plan on settling the fines and, as per European captain Luke Donald, he was unsure about whether to appeal them. However, Rahm’s team decided to file an appeal at the final moment.