The DP World Tour Championship is upon us, with Thursday kicking off the final event of the European circuit. Many of the world's best golfers will descend upon Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. Rory McIlroy, the number three ranked player in the world, is nearly a shoo-in to clinch his sixth Harry Vardon trophy. He holds an almost insurmountable 1,800-point lead, with Thriston Lawrence being the only player who could catch him.

Nevertheless, the field is usually stacked. But this year, there will be one glaring omission as former World No. 1, Jon Rahm, will not play.

“Jon Rahm has not entered the DP World Tour Championship,” said a DP World Tour spokesperson to GolfMagic‘s Andy Roberts.

Rahm, who previously won this event three times and took home the lion's share of the $10 million purse, had decided not to take part this year. The former world's top-ranked player has already done enough to warrant keeping his DP World Tour player card.

The Spaniard previously appealed his fines for joining LIV Golf. That allowed him to temporarily keep his status on the European tour. But in order to maintain that status, he was required to play in at least four sanctioned events. He made the required minimum appearances, playing in the Olympics, the Open de Espana, Dunhill Links, and Andalucia Masters.

Article Continues Below
More Golf News
Justin Rose hits his second shot on 18 during the first round of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin
PGA Tour star shaves off 10 strokes at Memorial into contentionKendall Capps ·
Scottie Scheffler reacts after making his putt on the 14th green during the second round of the Memorial Tournament
Scottie Scheffler has hilarious Mavericks thought at The MemorialKendall Capps ·
Charlie Woods lines up a putt on No. 10 green during the final round of the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley Golf Club
Tiger Woods’ son, Charlie Woods, lights up golf world with 1st winKendall Capps ·
Graniteville, South Carolina, USA; Charlie Woods tees off No. 11 during the final round of the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley Golf Club.
Tiger Woods’ son Charlie earns first-ever junior victoryMiguel La Torre ·
Xander Schauffele reacts after missing a putt 15th green during the final round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow
Xander Schauffele uses ‘corked bat’ metaphor to explain driver controversyKendall Capps ·
Nick Saban and Ryan Day walk the 14th fairway during the Workday Golden Bear Pro-Am at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio on May 28, 2025.
Ohio State football earns new fan in Justin Thomas at Nick Saban’s expenseKendall Capps ·

One thing is certain. The LIV Golf champion wants to ensure he qualifies for Luke Donald's 2025 Ryder Cup team. He has previously expressed the importance of the Ryder Cup, as have his teammates.

McIlroy went so far as to say that rules disallowing LIV players from the Ryder Cup needs to be changed. He did so, stating the case for wanting Jon Rahm on the team in the future.

After the birth of his second child, Rahm has curtailed much of his playing time. So, this should not come as a complete shock. But the fans will sadly be the ones missing out on watching one of the greatest golfers of this generation tee it up in Dubai this week.