World number one Jon Rahm has withdrawn from the DP World Tour Championship in order to spend time with his family.
It rules the Spaniard out of the running to win the Race to Dubai, in which he currently sits third behind Collin Morikawa and Billy Horschel.
Rahm has had a rollercoaster year, twice testing positive for Covid-19 and winning the US Open – his first major.
“I have come to the difficult decision not to travel to Dubai next week,” he said.
“The demands of a long season with many ups and downs has taken a lot out of me. I feel I need to take 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 season-ending event, which is always such a special tournament.”
Rahm won the Race to Dubai title, which crowns the European Tour’s number one player, in 2019.
The 27-year-old won the US Open, in June, 15 days after being forced out of the Memorial Tournament because of his first positive Covid test, despite leading by six shots.
His second ruled him out of the Tokyo Olympics just a week before he was due to fly out to Japan, but he bounced back on a personal note, wining three and a half points from five matches in Europe’s Ryder Cup defeat by the United States.
