Jon Rahm ends run of second-place finishes with commanding victory at LIV Golf Hong Kong, snaps 18-month winless streak
Updated 08/03/2026 at 09:41 GMT
After a series of near misses, Jon Rahm returned to the winner's circle with victory at LIV Golf Hong Kong. Rahm had cut a frustrated figure with a host of second-placed finishes, but he snapped that with a win at Fanling. Rahm started the day with a share of the lead before taking control mid-way through the final round. Watch and stream the LIV Golf season live on TNT Sports.
'What a time to be running hot' - Rahm takes charge with birdie blitz
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Rahm had not tasted victory since LIV Golf Chicago in September 2024, after which he finished second on six occasions.
The Spaniard started the current campaign with second-placed finishes in Riyadh and Adelaide, giving himself too much to do on the final day in Saudi Arabia and succumbing to a blitz from Anthony Kim in Australia.
On Sunday in Hong Kong, everything aligned for Rahm as he went into the final round with a share of the lead, took control on the front nine and was not chased down by a Kim-type performance.
Harold Varner III and Thomas Detry began the day in a share of the lead with Rahm, but were blown away mid-way through the final 18 holes at Fanling.
Thomas Pieters put Rahm under pressure on the back nine, but a terrible tee shot on 15 took the wind from the Belgian's sails as Rahm eased to a three-shot win over Detry.
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Varner was the first to make a forward move with a birdie on the opening hole.Â
Rahm answered Varner two holes later, making a birdie following a stunning approach from the rough on the third.Â
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'Magnificent shot' - Rahm fires at pin from tough lie in rough
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Varner followed Rahm in for a birdie on the third, but the momentum shifted one hole later as Rahm made a birdie and Varner a bogey.Â
The two-shot swing saw Rahm take the solo lead for the first time.
After leaving a couple of putts surprisingly short on five and six, Rahm did not make the same mistake on seven as he found the back of the cup to extend his lead to two.
The Rahm charge continued on the eighth with a brilliant birdie two as he extended his advantage to three shots.
Varner suffered tree trouble on the ninth. He caught a branch when trying to be too greedy with his approach, which saw him card an ugly double-bogey six.
The American got back in the mix with back-to-back birdies on 11 and 12, as Rahm kept the door ajar by missing a series of makeable putts - and he threw a ball in the water in frustration after one stopped on the lip of the cup.
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Rahm putt stops on edge of cup, throws ball in water in frustration
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Pieters, who played a shot without his shoes on earlier in the round, briefly joined Rahm at the top of the leaderboard following birdies on 13 and 14.
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Pieters takes shoes off to play shot from path
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Rahm looked under a little bit of pressure, likely increased by his series of near misses, but the tension was eased in the space of a few minutes.
Pieters hit a terrible tee shot on 15 and it cost him a bogey, while a hole behind Rahm made a birdie to extend his lead to three.
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'Almost hit our TV tower' - Pieters hits wild tee shot
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While there was the odd show of frustration from Rahm, he was largely imperious - particularly from tee to green.
A stunning approach to five feet on 15 gave him another look at a birdie. A clench of the fist followed the ball toppling in the hole, as the lead was extended to four.
A fourth birdie on the spin on the 16th saw Rahm stretch his lead to five, making the walk down 17 and 18 a comfortable one - albeit a wild tee shot on the final hole caused a few anxious moments before marshals found his ball next to a tree.
Rahm signed for a 64 on Sunday for a winning score of 23-under, with victory also taking him back inside the top 40 in the world.
Victory in the team competition went to 4Aces GC, with Detry, Pieters, Kim and captain Dustin Johnson finishing on 58-under to beat Smash GC and Rahm’s Legion XIII.
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Watch and stream the LIV Golf season live on TNT Sports.
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