Why are Ludvig Åberg and Jon Rahm conspicuous by their absence in Dubai?

Respectively 21st and 38th in the Race, Ludvig Åberg (photo) and Jon Rahm were theoretically invited to do battle this week in Dubai for the very richly endowed DP World Tour Championship. We explain to you why the two winners of the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome declined the invitation.

LV in Dubai

Conor Syme et Francesco Laporta can say thank you to them. The Scotsman and the Italian, ranked 51st and 52nd respectively in the Race, are at the start of the 2024 edition of the DP World Tour Championship bringing together the first 50 in the European rankings on the eve of the last tournament of the 2023-24 season of DP World Tour. The combined absences of Ludvig Åberg and of Jon Rahm benefit these two “lucky losers” who will start as the first part this Thursday on the Earth Course of Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Scheduled return to Tiger Woods in the Bahamas

Why the Swede and the Spaniard are not at the start of the 5th and last Rolex Series of the season? Last September, just after the Tour Championshipthe last meeting of the playoffs of the FedEx Cup (PGA Tour) where he took the final 19th place, Åberg underwent an arthroscopy of his left knee to repair a stubborn meniscus. To date, this is his final appearance in a golf tournament.

The current 5th player in the world will nevertheless make his comeback to competition in the Bahamas at the beginning of December for the Hero World Challenge (December 5-8) dear to Tiger Woods. The Scandinavian will meet the Frenchman there for the occasion Matthew Pavonalso invited to this small-field tournament (20 players).

Still in conflict with the DP World Tour…

No physical injury as far as Jon Rahm is concerned. The Spaniard, passed on the LIFE Golf for $500 million almost a year ago, simply decided to end its season. The winner of the 2019 Race, three times winner of the DP World Tour Championship (2017, 2019 and 2022), had a “fruitful” stint on the Tour in the fall by taking part in theSpanish Open (2nd), the Dunhill Links Championship (7th) and theAndalucia Masters (6e).

Having appealed the sanctions that the European Tour imposed on him (due to his transfer to LIV Golf), the Basque is currently eligible for the next Ryder Cup has Bethpage (New York) in September 2025. Thanks to his last appearances on the Tour recently… As of November 12, 2024, he thus occupies 13th place in the European Team Ranking dominated by… the Englishman Tyrrell Hattonanother member of LIV having also appealed the DP World Tour sanctions!

Photo : PGA Tour