Europe's hopes of defending their Ryder Cup title have received a major boost as Jon Rahm has formally appealed against his DP World Tour sanctions.
The two-time major champion will play at the Spanish Open this week and will also appear as a DPWT player at the Dunhill Links Championship and Andalucia Masters next month.
With these three starts, plus his appearance at the Olympics, the Spaniard will have four starts to maintain his tour membership and therefore be eligible to join Luke Donald’s 2025 team.
Rahm just won the LIV Golf Individual Championship in his debut season on the Saudi-sponsored tour, earning him $18 million in prize money. The 29-year-old has won the event three times (2018, 2019 and 2022) and is aiming to surpass Seve Ballesteros and claim his fourth victory in the tournament.
The Spanish Open is one of the oldest golf tournaments, first held in 1912 and played sporadically until 1939. Since 1940, the tournament has been held annually, with only four exceptions. The Spanish have had many successes, winning 39 of the 96 titles in the history of the tournament.
Last year, Matthieu Pavon beat Zander Lombard by four shots at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid to claim his first tour victory, breaking the Spaniard's four-year record of wins.
Where is the Spanish Open held?
Club Villacampo de Madrid will once again host the Spanish Open, as it has done for the past four editions. Since its inception, many courses have hosted the Spanish Open, including Valderrama and PGA Catalunya Resort.
The par-71, 6,970-yard Black Course was designed by Javier de Arana and opened in 1956. In addition to the Spanish Open, the course has hosted other tournaments such as the Spanish Open and the Madrid Masters.
Although Arana is not too long, it still tests the player's tee shot ability, as tee shot accuracy is crucial. The greens at Madrid's Campovilla Club also provide a serious challenge. The greens on the front nine holes are often perpendicular to the fairway. On the back nine holes, the putting surface is more difficult, which may lead to a dramatic ending if many players want to win the championship.
What is the format of the Spanish Open?
The Spanish Open is a standard stroke play tournament with 72 holes, with elimination after 36 holes (two rounds). The player with the lowest score in four rounds will win the tournament.
Who will play in the Spanish Open?
Rahm isn't the only LIV golfer competing this week, as his Legion XIII teammate Tyrrell Hatton will also be in action. The Englishman will be competing in his second DPWT event since joining LIV in January, where he finished tied for 18th.day It ended earlier this month at the British Masters.
Elsewhere, Ryder Cup stars Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry will compete in Madrid, while Patrick Reid has also been invited to the tournament.
Spain will have a large number of players participating this week. In addition to Lahm, players such as Pablo Larrazabal, Jorge Campillo and Adrian Otaegui will also be in attendance.
The full entry list for the 2024 Spanish Open can be found here .
Who will win the Spanish Open?
Selected odds: To be determined
How much money will the Spanish Open champion receive?
The previous two tournaments had purses of $6 million and $9 million respectively, while this week's Spanish Open has a purse of just $3.25 million. The winner will receive a check worth more than $500,000, 5,000 Race to Dubai points and 1,500 Ryder Cup points.
Who won the Spanish Open?
| Year | winner | Fraction | runner up |
| 2023 | Matthew Pavin | -twenty three | Sander Lombard |
| 2022 | Jon Rahm | -25 | Matthew Pavin |
| 2021 | Rafa Cabrera-Bello | -19 (Playoffs) | Adrian Arnaus |
| 2019 | Jon Rahm | -twenty two | Rafa Cabrera-Bello |
| 2018 | Jon Rahm | -20 | Paul Dunn |
| 2016 | Andrew Johnston | +1 | Joost Ruyten |
| 2015 | James Morrison | -10 | Eduardo Espana, David Howell, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Francesco Molinari |
| 2014 | Miguel Angel Jimenez | -4 (Playoffs) | Richard Green and Thomas Peters |
| 2013 | Raphael Jacqueline | -5 (Playoffs) | Felipe Aguilar and Maximilian Kiefer |
How to watch the Spanish Open
UK viewers can watch the Spanish Open on Sky Sports Golf.
All times are British Summer Time
Thursday, September 26: Sky Sports Golf, 13.00
Friday, September 27: Sky Sports Golf, 13.00
Saturday, September 28: Sky Sports Golf, 06.00
Sunday, September 29: Sky Sports Golf, 06.00
Viewers in the U.S. can watch all four days of the Spanish Open on Golf Channel.
All times are Eastern Daylight Time
Thursday, September 26: Golf Channel, 08.00
Friday, September 27: Golf Channel, 08.00
Saturday, September 28: Golf Channel, 08.00
Sunday, September 29: Golf Channel, 07.00
Spanish Open: Tee times and groups
Kick-off times and brackets will be displayed here once they are announced.
About the Author
Ross Kilvington – Golf News Staff Writer
Ross Kilvington is a freelance writer from Scotland who currently writes previews for Today's Golfer and covers events on the DP World, PGA and LPGA Tours and the LIV Golf Series.
Ross has a keen interest in golf and plays it as often as he can, but the fact that he has two daughters under the age of six means his dream of breaking 80 will have to wait a little longer.
Although he picked up a club at the age of 11, he had few highlights on the golf course.
An eagle shot on the par-4 16th at Kinghorn stands out (although it's only 290 yards, so it doesn't matter).
