Jon Rahm was set to make history at this year’s Spanish Open at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. However, the two-time major winner was forced to abandon his hopes of accomplishing that feat due to personal reasons. Spanish outlet TenGolf was the first to report the development.
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According to the outlet, the Spaniard and his wife, Kelley Cahill, are expecting the birth of their fourth child, which led to Rahm’s withdrawal from the event, set to begin on Thursday, October 8. However, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
The LIV Golf recruit had previously explained that he might not be able to compete in the DP World Tour tournament, as his wife’s due date was around the same time. In any case, his withdrawal also means he has missed the opportunity to make history at the event.
Jon Rahm has already won the Open de España three times, matching the record set by Seve Ballesteros in 1995. Had Rahm competed in the event this week, he would have had the opportunity to break that record.
It is also worth noting that outside of Ángel de la Torre’s all-time record of five, only two golfers have won the Spanish Open four times: Mariano Provencio and Gabriel Gonzalez. As a result, Rahm could have joined elite company in the history of the tournament to claim four Spanish Open titles.
This comes after Rahm resolved his dispute with the DP World Tour in May. It, of course, stemmed from his participation in LIV Golf events without the DP World Tour’s permission, which resulted in a series of fines being imposed on him.
So, as part of the agreement to settle the matter, Rahm agreed to pay the outstanding fines, allowing him to put the dispute behind him. More importantly, the agreement restored Rahm’s eligibility to represent Europe at the 2027 Ryder Cup.
This means the Spaniard remains eligible to compete in DP World Tour events and could once again play a role for Europe when the Ryder Cup heads to Adare Manor in Ireland. In the meantime, the 31-year-old is at the centre of uncertainty regarding his place in LIV Golf.
At this point, it’s quite well known that the breakaway tour filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September. While they intend to restructure the organization, with help from BC Partners, to return with a modified schedule in 2027, whether Jon Rahm will be part of the league remains unclear.
LIV Golf already owes Rahm $7.47 million in immediate, past-due payments, while the Spaniard has yet to confirm whether he will remain with the Saudi-backed circuit. However, one thing is clear: the 2026 season has been both busy and successful for the two-time major winner.
Rahm won his third consecutive LIV Golf Individual Championship with 1,057.54 points. He also claimed individual titles at LIV Golf Hong Kong and LIV Golf Mexico City. His success extended beyond LIV Golf, as Rahm also finished runner-up at the PGA Championship, earning $1.804 million.
The Spaniard has made a total of 17 starts across major tours this year in 2026, comprising 12 LIV Golf events and 5 PGA Tour/Major appearances. Having said that, Rahm’s absence from the Spanish Open will be a major blow to the tournament.
Not only is he one of the biggest names from Spain to compete in the event, but his presence could also have made this year’s edition particularly memorable, with the two-time major winner on the verge of making history. Hopefully, though, Rahm will get another opportunity to accomplish the feat next year.