World number one Jon Rahm has retired from the DP World Tour Championship in order to spend time with his family.
The Spaniard’s withdrawal excludes him from the race to win the Race to Dubai, in which he currently sits third behind Collin Morikawa and Billy Horschel.
Rahm has had a roller coaster season, twice testing positive for Covid-19.
“I have made the difficult decision not to go to Dubai next week,” he said.
“The demands of a long season with many ups and downs took a lot of my life away. I feel like I have to take the time to recharge my batteries while spending quality time with my family.
“I would like to take this opportunity to wish DP World and the European Tour all the best for the end of season event, which is always such a special tournament.”
Rahm won the Race to Dubai title, which crowns the number one player on the European Tour, in 2019.
The 27-year-old won his first major tournament, the US Open, in June, 15 days after being forced out of the Memorial tournament due to his first positive Covid test, despite a six-shot lead.
His runner-up ruled him out of the Tokyo Olympics just a week before he left for Japan, but he rebounded on a personal note, winning three and a half points in five matches in Europe’s loss at the Ryder Cup. against the United States.
