Weekend Round-Up: Jon Rahm's Return and Blades Brown's Record

Welcome back to the real world, Jon Rahm.

In his first start since officially declaring himself out of LIV 2.0, Rahm took down a strong field at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, finishing two shots clear of Tyrrell Hatton and four ahead of Rory McIlroy.

Score one for those who believed Rahm’s recent on-course struggles can be attributed to a multitude of distractions that have surrounded him of late, especially regarding his status with LIV Golf. Not getting paid what he was owed, relentless questions about his future, being at the center of a collapsing circus, and a childbirth to top it off. As it turns out, that might not have been the ideal recipe for his golf game. He said so himself at Yas Links after notching his first non-LIV win since the 2023 Masters.

“Whether you like to admit it or not, there was a lot of extra noise going on in general, and that was still not the most important part of my life,” Rahm said on Sunday. “The impending birth of our daughter was something that was weighing heavily on me at Wentworth…I didn't want to miss it…I felt incredibly calm (this week), even when things didn't go my way. Not much seemed to bother me, and probably the main reason why I was able to perform the way I have.”

The victory vaults him to sixth place in the Race to Dubai. Rahm was both surprised and elated to hear he can still win the season-long title, though it will require another win at this week’s DP World Tour Championship, plus a little help from others near the top of the standings.

The return to the winner’s circle comes at a good time for Rahm, whose recent form has invited legitimate questions about whether he should still be considered a top five player in the world. After two months away from competition, Rahm shook off the rust and reasserted himself as one of the best players alive. Exactly where people believe he stacks up among the game’s current greats may vary, but it’s not difficult to envision the two-time major winner ascending right back up near the top of the world ranking over the next year, especially now that he has a clearer head and can put an unserious chapter of golf firmly in his rearview mirror.

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As of now, there is no immediate pathway back to the PGA Tour for Rahm, but his performance in Abu Dhabi only reinforces what the Tour stands to gain by extending him an offer to return. Rahm is a legitimate star, and his participation would provide PGA Tour events a considerable amount of juice. Get him back out there.

In related news, one of the unresolved questions surrounding the PGA Tour's new competitive model, set to debut in 2028, is how many DP World Tour players will gain direct access to the Championship Series. Rory McIlroy disclosed that he expects four spots to be reserved for top DP World Tour finishers.

On the PGA Tour, Blades Brown made history at the World Wide Technology Championship, erasing a seven-shot deficit in the final round to become the youngest PGA Tour winner on record since the 1930s. Just a month after becoming the youngest player ever to earn a PGA Tour card through the Korn Ferry Tour, Brown became only the second teenager to win on Tour in the modern era, joining Jordan Spieth, who was a slightly older 19-year-old when he won the 2013 John Deere Classic.

Ben James, the 54-hole leader, began Sunday with a four-shot cushion but leaked oil throughout the final round at the overly forgiving Tiger Woods design at El Cardonal. Brown took advantage of the open door and fired a 9-under 63 to post the clubhouse lead, but James didn’t go down without a fight. A clutch eagle at the par-5 18th forced a playoff, where Brown prevailed on the second extra hole.

“I’m just so obsessed with this game,” Brown said, smiling behind the 18th green. “I love golf. I love all the stuff that goes into it, and I can’t wait for what’s next.”

Making long-term golf predictions can be a little like throwing darts in the dark, but considering Brown’s age, the lengthy list of accomplishments he’s accumulated, and the success he’s already demonstrated at the professional level, it seems more likely than not that Brown will crack the top five in the world ranking at some point in his career.

Finally, Open Letter season remains in full swing.

On Sunday, Bryson DeChambeau took to social media to publish what essentially amounts to a farewell letter to LIV Golf. You can read the full thing if you really want to, or you can save yourself the time and imagine a considerably more verbose version of “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Within the statement, he pledged to approach whatever comes next with humility and respect.

The Bryson way!