Relief for Rahm in Hong Kong; Maguire 18th in China

Jon Rahm hits his shot on the third hole during the final round of HSBC LIV Golf Hong Kong. Photo by Charles Laberge/LIV Golf

Jon Rahm admitted it was “a big weight off my shoulder” to end his 18-month victory drought with a three-shot win at LIV Golf Hong Kong.

The two-time Major winner and European Ryder Cup star closed with a six-under 64 to win on 23-under at Hong Kong Golf Club from Belgium’s Thomas Detry.

“Very relieving,” said Rahm, whose most recent individual win came at LIV Golf Chicago in September 2024.

“That's the only way I can describe it. I've been very ecstatic for wins in the past. This one just feels like a big weight off my shoulder. That's all I can say.”

The Spaniard (31) has been at the centre of controversy in recent weeks for his refusal to come to an agreement with the DP World Tour over unpaid fines accrued for playing LIV Golf events without a release.

He turned down a deal, which eight LIV Golf colleagues accepted, leaving his Ryder Cup future in doubt until his appeal against fines is heard by an independent body.

After playing 26 events worldwide without a win, he admitted his Hong Kong triumph now ranks alongside some of the most memorable wins of his career.

“My first ever win at Torrey Pines, this one, possibly the first Spanish Open, something I really wanted to win,” he said of the last time he felt as relieved to win.  

“But then that US Open, that first major. That hour of waiting for Louis [Oosthuizen] to finish in 2021 was arguably the most stressful hour of my life golf-wise, not off the course.”

He added: “There's a few milestones in my life that I'm very appreciative of, and a few of them felt like a relief. Maybe not at that moment because I was ecstatic. As far as awayness for that, maybe this one takes the cake.”

As for his decision to organise a charter flight to rescue seven players from the Middle East last week, as flights out of the UAE were grounded due to the war, he didn’t think his win was a result of good karma.

“It was never about karma, said Rahm, who won $4 million. “It was simply about luckily getting those boys out of a dangerous situation…

“The fact that my GM and agent, Jeff Koski, was able to pull a rabbit out of the hat and VistaJet, as well, were able to get a crew and a plane to Oman and somebody brave enough to go land picked them up and took them all the way here, the credit goes to those two pilots, the stewardess, VistaJets and Jeff.  

“All I did is maybe have the vision to push them to do it, but they did all the work.”
Graeme McDowell shot 66 to finish tied for eighth on 14-under as Tom McKibbin slipped to 24th after a closing 71.

Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces won the team title by six shots from McDowell’s Smash GC, now captained by Talor Gooch following Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA TOUR.

In China, South Korea’s Mi Hyang Lee closed with a one over 73 but won the LPGA Bay and her third LPGA title by a shot from China’s Weiwei Zhang on 11-under.

Leona Maguire, who started working with Tiger Woods’ former coach Sean Foley in the off-season, tied for 18th on one under after a 76, while LPGA rookie Lauren Walsh was 75th on 16-over after a 76.

At the Ladies European Tour’s Australian Women's Classic in Sydney, Australia’s Kelsey Bennett shot 71 to win by four shots from England’s Meghan MacLaren and Caley McGinty on 13-under.

Lahinch’s Aine Donegan tied for 32nd on three over at Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club after a 76.