Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, Sunday 19 November 2017 – Rolex Testimonee Jon Rahm has been crowned the champion at the 2017 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, the culmination of the Race to Dubai and part of the inaugural Rolex Series at the Jumeirah Golf Estates Earth Course.
This victory marks the third win of the 23-year-old’s professional career, including the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in June 2017, which is also a Rolex Series event.
Moving to number four in the Official World Golf Rankings, the Spaniard commenced his final round in second place, courtesy of rounds of 69, 68 and 65; adding a fourth round in the 60s (67) to take his tally for the tournament to a winning 19-under-par.
The win also caps a week in which Rahm was awarded the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year at the start of the week, following in the footsteps of fellow Rolex Testimonees José María Olazábal (1986), Colin Montgomerie (1988), Thomas Bjørn (1996), Paul Casey (2001), Martin Kaymer (2007) and Brooks Koepka (2014).
When asked how it feels to be the DP World Tour Champion, Jon Rahm, said: “It’s a very special feeling. What I’ve done this year, especially on the European Tour, to actually be a Rolex Series champion, and now two-time Rolex Series champion and winner of the DP World Tour Championship – it’s something unbelievable.”
In joining fellow Rolex Testimonee Matthew Fitzpatrick as a winner of the DP World Tour Championship, Rahm has also enhanced his campaign to be part of the 2018 European Ryder Cup Team, taking place in Paris at Le Golf National in September 2018 and captained by Rolex Testimonee Thomas Bjørn.
ENDS
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NOTES TO EDITORS
ROLEX TESTIMONEE CONTESTING THE 2017 DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP, DUBAI
Nicolas Colsaerts (55th)
Matthew Fitzpatrick (12th)
Martin Kaymer (17th)
Li Haotong (13th)
Thorbjørn Olesen (36th)
Thomas Pieters (58th)
Jon Rahm (1st)
THE 2017 DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP, DUBAI RESULTS
1. Jon Rahm (-19)
T2. Shane Lowry (-18)
T2. Kiradech Aphibarnrat (-18)
T4. Sergio Garcia (-17)
T4. Dean Burmester (-17)
T4. Justin Rose (-17)
T4. Dylan Frittelli (-17)
ROLEX TESTIMONEE RACE TO DUBAI WINNERS
Luke Donald (2011)
Martin Kaymer (2010)
ROLEX TESTIMONEES DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP, DUBAI WINNERS
Jon Rahm (2017)
Matthew Fitzpatrick (2016)
ABOUT THE ROLEX SERIES
Commencing in 2017, the Rolex Series is the premium tournament category on the European Tour’s International Schedule. Presently comprising eight tournaments, staged in a variety of golfing locations around the world, Rolex Series events will offer a minimum prize fund of US$7 million.
The 2017 roster of Rolex Series tournaments include: the BMW PGA Championship (May 25-28); the HNA Open de France (June 29-July 2); the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation (July 6-9); the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open (July 13-16); the Italian Open (October 12-15), the Turkish Airlines Open (November 2-5); the Nedbank Golf Challenge (November 9-12); and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai (November 16-19), where the leading golfer of the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex will be crowned.
ABOUT ROLEX
Rolex, the Swiss watch brand headquartered in Geneva, enjoys an unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise the world over. Its Oyster and Cellini watches, all certified as Superlative Chronometers for their precision, performance and reliability, are symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. Founded by Hans Wilsdorf in 1905, the brand pioneered the development of the wristwatch and is at the origin of numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism invented in 1931. Rolex has registered over 400 patents in the course of its history. A truly integrated and independent manufacturing company, Rolex designs, develops and produces in-house all the essential components of its watches, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Rolex is also actively involved in supporting the arts, sports, exploration, the spirit of enterprise, and the environment through a broad palette of sponsoring activities, as well as philanthropic programmes.
