No DP World Tour Playoffs: Jon Rahm takes month-long break

Jon Rahm, one of the most dominant golfers of recent years, has caused a stir with a surprising announcement: after the conclusion of the Spanish Open, the Spaniard is ending his season early and taking the longest break of his professional career.

The 30-year-old will be away from competitive golf for almost four months and does not plan to return before the LIV Golf season opener in Riyadh in February 2026. The unexpectedly long withdrawal is a clear sign: Rahm is aiming for a "complete reset" after an intense and, by his standards, frustrating season.

The reasons for Jon Rahm's tournament break

The outcome of Rahm's 2025 is ambivalent. On the one hand, he secured the LIV Golf Individual Championship (individual ranking) thanks to consistently good performances and made a significant contribution to the European Ryder Cup team's victory. On the other hand, Rahm experienced a first: for the first time since turning professional in 2016, he finished a full season without winning an individual tournament.

Despite twelve top-10 finishes on the LIV Tour and solid results in the majors, Rahm appeared noticeably drained and annoyed in late fall. Among other things, he vented his frustration during the Spanish Open, where he admitted to being "so angry" after the opening round. He speaks of a "long year" that has taken him to his limits. The four-month break is therefore a necessary evil for him to recover from the emotional and physical strain of the split golf calendar.

Jon Rahm's plans: preseason and family

The time off will be a strategic retreat for Jon Rahm and a realignment of priorities. During the four-month break, the main focus will be on family and physical preparation. Rahm, who has three children with his wife Kelley Cahill, is looking forward to spending more time at home, the Spanish website Ten Golf quotes him as saying: "I've never had three months off before, but I'm looking forward to it. I'm lucky to be able to go home now, to have a preseason, to be a father, to be with my family."

The break is not just for recovery, but also a "preseason" - an intensive preparation phase that he wants to use to take his game to the next level. For the Spaniard, this is an experiment: "And now, if I see that it's too much, then maybe I won't do it next year, but I'm looking forward to it."

The controversy and consequences

This unusually long sabbatical is also seen as a strategic move in the current Gulf war. The guaranteed income from the LIV contract allows Rahm to forgo the lucrative end-of-season events on the DP World Tour (including the Players) - a luxury most Tour players would not be able to afford.

The withdrawal also gives Rahm a break from the legal uncertainties surrounding his membership of the DP World Tour. He and his Legion XIII teammate Tyrrell Hatton are still in the process of appealing the fines and sanctions imposed on them for their participation in LIV events. Rahm himself recently admitted with a wink that he had "completely forgotten" about the ongoing process.

However, his participation in the Spanish Open was strategic: Rahm fulfilled the minimum requirement of four starts in order to secure his DP World Tour membership for 2026.