Jon Rahm withdraws from Open de Espana in Madrid ahead of fourth child's birth

Absence from Madrid

Jon Rahm has withdrawn from the 98th Open de Espana, scheduled to begin on Thursday at the Real Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. Tournament officials confirmed that the 31-year-old Spaniard was removed from the official entry list on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. Rahm chose to stay at his residence in Arizona to attend the birth of his fourth child, a daughter, with his wife Kelley Cahill. The couple already has three children born in the United States: Kepa, aged 5, Eneko, aged 4, and Alaia, born in September 2024. During Alaia's birth two years prior, Rahm was able to arrive in Madrid shortly after the delivery, but earlier this summer he indicated that travel logistics would prevent a transatlantic flight this season.

I want to play Dunhill (Links Championship) and Spanish Open but that doesn't seem like because of our due date being in October. Being our fourth, I don't think I would have time to fly back and be on time. So most likely I miss those two.

Tournament history and Madrid field

This withdrawal marks Rahm's first absence from the Open de Espana since his debut in 2018, excluding the 2020 edition that was cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over seven appearances, Rahm claimed victories in 2018, 2019, and 2022, equalling the three titles won by Seve Ballesteros and establishing the lowest aggregate score in tournament history in 2022. In his most recent Madrid appearance in 2024, he finished in second place following a playoff.

Despite Rahm's absence, the field at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid features Race to Dubai standings leader Patrick Reed, defending champion Marco Penge, and international players including Shane Lowry, Tyrrell Hatton, Ludvig Aberg, Justin Rose, Bubba Watson, Francesco Molinari, and Nicolai Hojgaard. The Spanish contingent features Sergio Garcia, Angel Hidalgo, David Puig, Eugenio Chacarra, Angel Ayora, Josele Ballester, Pablo Larrazabal, and brothers Nacho and Manuel Elvira. During the tournament presentation on Tuesday, Open de Espana CEO Gerard Tsobanian and Royal Spanish Golf Federation President Juan Guerrero-Burgos presented the event alongside Madrid Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida.

Tour membership requirements

The decision to bypass Madrid impacts Rahm's schedule requirements for DP World Tour membership and his eligibility for the Ryder Cup. The European tour requires players to complete a minimum number of events across the season. Having entered three DP World Tour tournaments this year, Rahm missed the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland last week and will not play in Madrid. The regular season concludes with tournaments in India and South Korea before the tour stages its season-ending events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in November 2026. Rahm plans to participate in both events in the United Arab Emirates to fulfill his membership criteria.

Recent performance and LIV Golf status

The withdrawal follows Rahm's last-place finish at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, England, on September 18, 2026, where he posted an 11-over-par total. That outcome registered among the lowest finishes in his ten-year professional career, alongside modest results in three of the four majors this season. Rahm also faces corporate developments regarding his contractual status with LIV Golf. Saudi Arabia ceased capital injections into the league, prompting its management to seek bankruptcy protection to reorganize operations. LIV Golf currently owes Rahm $7.4 million (approximately 6.5 million euros) in outstanding payments separate from the multi-year contract signed in late 2023, while negotiations proceed regarding a potential transition back to traditional golf circuits.