A strong start to the 2026 season has pushed Jon Rahm back into the global spotlight. Ever since the Spaniard joined LIV Golf, his world rankings have only slipped down. However, as Scott O’Neil’s efforts made LIV Golf eligible for OWGR points, Rahm has once again joined the elites by entering the top 50.

“Rahm has moved from 97th to 36th in OWGR with his 2nd, 2nd, 1st to start the season,” LIV Golf Data revealed through an X post.

Rahm joined LIV Golf in 2024, when he was the World No. 3. This was thanks to his 4 title wins on the PGA Tour, including the 2023 Masters. However, after joining LIV Golf, his ranking dropped to 14th by the end of the year. Then, he dropped down further to 71 by the end of 2025. Before LIV Golf’s 2026 season started, he slipped down to 97 and was about to exit the top 100 list.

However, Scott O’Neil put in a lot of effort after the Saudi-backed league reapplied for OWGR eligibility. The format was switched from 54 holes to 72 holes. The league also increased merit-based spots on the roster, from 3 to 5.

As a result, the OWGR accepted LIV Golf’s application and awarded it OWGR points starting in 2026. Although it came with an asterisk that only the top 10 finishers will gain points, it opened a path for elites like Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau to re-climb the world ranking ladder.

Until now, LIV golfers have played 3 events in 2026. This includes the season-opener LIV Golf Riyadh, LIV Golf Adelaide, and LIV Golf Hong Kong. Jon Rahm finished 2nd, 2nd, and 1st in these three events, respectively. This earned him 13.36076, 13.41996, and 23.01203 OWGR points, helping him jump from 97th to 36th.

If he continues like this and performs well in the rest of the season and majors, he could potentially eye the top 10 position in rankings once again.

The 11x PGA Tour winner’s victory at Hong Kong also ended his LIV Golf title drought. Jon Rahm won two events in his debut season – the LIV Golf United Kingdom and the LIV Golf Chicago. In 2025, he had many close finishes, including two 2nd, a couple of T2s, a solo 4th, and two T5s. Although this helped him finish 1st in individual LIV Golf rankings, he went winless the entire season.

This year, he finally crossed the finish line and emerged victorious at LIV Golf Hong Kong 2026.

“Very relieving. 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 said about his win.

Rahm carded rounds of 66-62-65-64 to finish 23-under 257 to win the game. This ended his 17-month-long title drought on LIV Golf.

Notably, the Spanish professional is not just climbing the OWGR leaderboard. He is also climbing the ladder to become one of the most respected golfers after his recent actions amid the Middle East war.

Jon Rahm helps rescue LIV golfers from Dubai

Early in March 2026, war tensions escalated in the Middle East. Thus, the Dubai airport was shut down, and all commercial flights were cancelled. This left 7 LIV golfers and a caddie stranded in Dubai. Caleb Surratt, Tom McKibbin, Thomas Detry, Lee Westwood, Adrian Meronk, Sam Horsfield, Anirban Lahiri, and caddie Terry Mundy were the ones stuck there.

Jon Rahm stepped up and organized a private jet charter pickup with help from LIV Golf. Players drove over 4 hours from Dubai to Oman, where Muscat’s airspace was reopened. Anirban Lahiri secured this transport.

Initially, the plan was to just get them out of Dubai and fly them to somewhere safe, be it the US, the UK, or anywhere else. However, they made it to Hong Kong to participate in the LIV Golf event.

While the rescued golfers praised Rahm, the Spaniard downplayed the gesture. He said his upbringing instilled certain values in him, so he felt it was his duty to step in and help.

Rahm’s leadership off the course has drawn praise as well. It adds another layer to a season that is already reshaping his momentum. With his form surging and his world ranking standing improving, the Spaniard appears firmly on track to reestablish himself among golf’s elite.