Jon Rahm's Last-Minute Spanish Open Withdrawal Confirmed
Rahm will play no part in this week's Spanish Open as he and wife Kelley welcome their fourth child
Jon Rahm has been forced to withdraw from the Open de Espana due to the impending birth of his fourth child.
The three-time Spanish Open winner was set to make his fourth DP World Tour start of the year in just two days' time on home soil, where he was the headline name at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.
He has officially withdrawn from the event, the DP World Tour confirmed to Golf Monthly, with he and wife, Kelley, expecting a daughter.
Rahm would have hoped to bounce back from a bitterly disappointing two days at Wentworth last month, where he finished at 11-over-par for 36 holes to prop up the leaderboard and comfortably miss the cut.
The former World No.1's LIV future is currently up in the air, with reports previously stating he is still owed up to $150m from his original contract. He has remained coy on his next move and said this summer he has a contract with 'LIV 1.0' that he is "more than willing to fulfill."
"I think it's still to come, I would say," Rahm said ahead of the BMW PGA Championship when asked what the high-point of his year has been before discussing what's next.
"Obviously awaiting the little one within a month or so, so that's always going to be higher than anything else.
"Well, there's a long legal process they have to go through before a lot of things fall into place. I really can't give you an answer right now.
"Like I said, I'm very close to expecting our fourth. Hopefully playing good this week, and at the end of the year, whether we play in Abu Dhabi, Dubai or elsewhere, so until this current season is done, I really won't be able to give you an answer."
Rahm has won the Spanish Open three times
Rahm agreed a conditional release deal with the DP World Tour in May to continue playing in LIV Golf events without accruing further fines and sanctions.
It is understood the number of DP World Tour events he is obligated to play has been reduced from six to five, with a number of other LIV players agreeing to six earlier in the year.
He has currently only appeared in three (Scottish Open, Irish Open, BMW PGA Championship) so will need to play two extra. Golf Monthly understands he intends to tee it up in the DP World Tour Play-Offs in November, consisting of the Abu Dhabi Championship and DP World Tour Championship.
Even without Rahm, the Open de Espana still includes a stacked field with the likes of Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed headlining as well as Justin Rose, Ludvig Aberg, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, defending champion Marco Penge and Spanish stars Sergio Garcia, Eugenio Chacarra and David Puig among many other notable names.
