The Open de Espana, held at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid came to an end with three Spaniards leading the game. As the final day started, Angel Hidalgo was at the top of the leaderboard with a score of 13 under par; hot on his heels was LIV superstar Jon Rahm with a solid 11 under par; and last but not least, David Puig, who was holding the third spot with 10 under par. Talk about a SPANISH Open, right? In the end, it was Hidalgo who claimed his maiden title on the DP World Tour, holding off Rahm in a playoff.

Three-time former champion Jon Rahm made his first start on the Tour in 2024. The LIV golfer was required to participate in this event and two more European-based tournaments by the end of the year to regain his Ryder Cup eligibility. Rahm was not the only LIV golfer at the tournament, as Legion XIII teammate Tyrrell Hatton also joined him. Other notable players at the tournament were Rahm’s European Ryder Cup teammates Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood.

Hidalgo has been leading since Thursday’s opening round. The world number 398 shot a one-under-par 70 on Sunday to open the door for Rahm, who finished in his 68 with back-to-back birdies as the pair ended level on 14 under. Hidalgo rolled in a birdie putt on the first extra hole to match Rahm’s effort. Then it was all holding the nerves, which the 26-year-old successfully did.

Hidalgo rolled in a short birdie putt on the second extra hole to clinch victory, Notably, he had missed a makeable birdie chance on the 18th to win in regulation. However, it was not only the amazing trophy that is at stake here; it was also the prize money worth $3.25 million. The winner took home a substantial $552,500. The prize was the same at the 2023 edition, where Matthieu Pavon won the title. The runner-up will earn $357,500, and the third finisher will take home a decent $204,750. Hidalgo was understandably elated.

“Two or three years ago, I was on the first tee, in the trees, supporting Jon. Without playing, I just came here to Madrid to see the tournament. To be here and win the tournament is unreal. Oh, my gosh, it’s amazing,” said Hidalgo, whose only other professional title came on the Challenger Tour in 2021. This is something that Rahm had also pointed out before the final day.

He acknowledged that the atmosphere would be electric, with Angel Hidalgo and David Puig experiencing the intense pressure of a final-round showdown for the first time. “I’m very excited,” Rahm said, per the Irish Times. “Hopefully I can end up with the win, but it’s definitely going to be a Sunday, atmosphere-wise, that [Angel Hidalgo and David Puig] haven’t experienced yet. There’s going to be a lot of people watching, and it’s going to be a lot of fun.” Hidalgo, had praised Rahm as “the GOAT in this tournament” after Saturday’s round.

All that being said, here is the complete information on prize money distribution as per Golf Monthly:

Apart from the prize money, 5000 Race to Dubai ranking points are up for grabs. The golfers are also working to secure a top 110 spot and retain their DP World Tour card for the 2025 season. Meanwhile, Rahm reflected on how he was feeling after missing out on the win.

Jon Rahm is disappointed, but ‘happy’ to compete

Rahm finished as the runner-up in what was only his second appearance on the DP World Tour this season. He had previously played in the Paris Olympics, which was to be counted as part of the European circuit. He said that he had to spend his time in hospital with some yet-to-be-revealed illness in the days leading to the tournament and was “happy” that he could compete.

“Thinking that on Tuesday morning I was in hospital in another country, on the other side of the Atlantic, in the end, I’m happy,” said the 2018, 2019, and 2022 Spanish Open winner, after missing out on what would have been a record fourth title. “It’s a pity to have lost in the play-off [but] I can’t say it has been a bad week,” he had further added.

Notably, Rahm took part in the tournament after he lodged a late appeal against fines imposed by the DP World Tour for his participation in conflicting Saudi Arabian-funded LIV Golf tournaments. The two-time major champion needs to participate in four tournaments in one season to keep his membership of the European-based circuit intact, a requirement to be considered for the 2025 Ryder Cup team.

Rahm has already booked his spot in next month’s Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland and the Andalucia Masters at Sotogrande in Spain. The DP World Tour season will end in November.