The war in the Middle East disrupted travel plans for many LIV golfers who were stranded there. As the situation appeared tense, Jon Rahm stepped up with a decision that shifted focus away from the leaderboard to something far beyond. While the entire golf world thinks of it as a heroic action, the Spaniard has a very different point of view.

“The way I see it is it’s simply my duty. I was raised with certain values, that if you have the ability and capability of helping somebody, especially in a scenario like that where my main focus essentially was getting them out of there, not necessarily playing a tournament. I remember telling Caleb earlier in the week, how about you forget about playing the tournament and we focus on getting you to safety and then we’ll see if you can get to Hong Kong,” Jon Rahm said, as reported in an X post by Flushing It Golf.

“With the ever-changing environment, it looked kind of dark for a second. For a second, at one point, if they went through a different extraction plan, they were going to go to Europe. I was trying to help people in Spain to get them set up to practice in Spain. It looked like coming here was going to be hard.”

Jon Rahm chartered a private jet to get some fellow LIV golfers out of the Middle East amid the regional conflict. Missile attacks forced authorities to ground commercial flights in Dubai. Thus, many professionals, including Thomas Detry, Lee Westwood, Anirban Lahiri, Adrian Meronk, Sam Horsfield, Tom McKibbin, and Caleb Surratt, were stuck in Dubai. A caddie was also among those stuck with them.

The Spaniard arranged a private jet pickup in coordination with LIV Golf organizers. All stranded professionals traveled to Oman by land for the late-night pickup. As Rahm pointed out, the aim was to get these golfers to safety. Earlier plans were to get them to Spain or any other European country. However, they ultimately landed in Hong Kong for the LIV Golf event.

“Safely made it to Hong Kong, thank you everyone that helped to reach and thank you for your messages and concerns,” Adrian Meronk shared in an X post after reaching Hong Kong.

Thomas Detry also commented, saying, “That was pretty incredible,” at a presser ahead of the event.

Jon Rahm has always been someone who has his priorities straight. That’s because of the values instilled in him by his parents, Edorta and Angela Rahm. For instance, he values family more than golf. In fact, he views fatherhood as his greatest role. He also runs the Jon Rahm Golf4Kids Foundation. Through this, he funds children’s projects via partners like Aladina.

Another incident that shows his humbleness occurred in December 2025. Despite being a household name, the influencer didn’t recognize him. He asked the LIV golfer questions as he would anyone else. Instead of bragging about his popularity and earnings, Rahm was humble enough to answer all the questions asked. This deeply touched fans, as some even called him the “greatest human being.”

While his good deeds are appreciated by fellow golfers and fans, they brought an unwanted challenge for Jon Rahm. Both Rahm and Detry are leading the scoreboard at the $20 million LIV Golf Hong Kong 2026 after Round 3. With a score of 17-under par, they will play together in the same group on the final day.

It’s just the first year of the Belgian professional on LIV Golf. Yet, he has emerged as one of the toughest rivals for Jon Rahm and other elites on the tour. Detry was in strong contention at the season-opener LIV Golf Riyadh, too.

At the end of Round 3 at Riyadh, the two were tied at 14-under par. However, the 2023 Masters champion overtook him with a 9-under par in the last round. Thomas Detry, on the other hand, hit a 4-under par round. This four-stroke gap advanced Rahm to a solo 2nd position, while the Belgian star finished at solo 7.

Now, the two are again tied after Round 3. And this time, they are at T1, alongside Harold Varner III. The unexpected rivalry at LIV Golf Hong Kong could slowly become a regular challenge for Jon Rahm.

Jon Rahm’s decision to step up during the travel crisis also reflects a trait he has shown in other situations. The Spaniard’s reluctance to bend under external pressure is also evident in his ongoing disagreement with the DP World Tour over fines.

Jon Rahm calls DP World Tour deal a way of extorting golfers

DP World Tour proposed a settlement deal to some LIV golfers on their fines. The deal proposed that LIV golfers should pay their fines, drop all legal appeals, and play six events on the DP World Tour to retain membership and avoid recurring additional fines this year. While everyone else accepted the deal, Jon Rahm rejected it.

In fact, he claims that he even offered a compromise. He requested that, instead of 6, he play 4 events, which is what the regulations allow. However, the DP World Tour denied it. Thus, the major champion believes that the DP World Tour is, in a way, “extorting players.”

This even caused a feud between him and Rory McIlroy. The 29x PGA Tour winner said that Rahm rejected a pretty generous deal, and playing six events is not a big ask. That’s the reason why the other 8 LIV golfers took the deal.

Rahm’s stance on the DP World Tour dispute shows the same firm values that shaped his decision to help stranded LIV golfers. Those principles now define his actions on and off the course.