Jon Rahm’s rapid ascent in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) this season has become a stark illustration of the PGA Tour’s longstanding concerns about LIV Golf’s integration into the global ranking system.

Widely regarded by analysts as one of the top two or three players in the world, alongside Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, Rahm entered the 2026 campaign precariously positioned at No. 97 in the OWGR. This near-drop outside the top 100 stemmed from the OWGR’s prior refusal to award points for LIV Golf events, a decision that had effectively penalized players who joined the Saudi-backed league since its inception.

The landscape shifted dramatically earlier this year when, following sustained pressure — including reported involvement from U.S. President Donald Trump and scrutiny from the Department of Justice (DOJ) over potential antitrust issues, the OWGR Board announced it would recognize LIV Golf for the 2026 season. Points are now allocated to the top 10 finishers (and ties) in each LIV individual stroke-play event — a first-step acceptance, while limiting broader distribution compared to traditional tours.

The impact on Rahm, though, has been immediate and explosive. In the season-opening LIV Golf Riyadh event, he finished second, earning 13.36 adjusted points and surging 30 positions, from 97th to 67th. He followed with another solo runner-up in LIV Golf Adelaide, adding 13.42 points to sit at No. 54 entering the HSBC LIV Golf Hong Kong.

Rahm then delivered at Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling, closing with a scintillating 6-under 64 to win at 23-under par — three strokes clear of Thomas Detry — with rounds of 66-62-65-64. As the winner, he claimed 23.01203 first-place points.

The Far East victory catapults Rahm to No. 36 in the latest OWGR update, after just three LIV starts under the new points regime. His climb from 97th to 36th in roughly a month underscores exactly what PGA Tour officials and allies had feared: that elite LIV talents like Rahm, when finally credited for strong performances, could rocket up the rankings and challenge the established order. With points now flowing (albeit selectively), the door has reopened for LIV stars to earn major exemptions and restore their global standing based purely on merit.

For Rahm, the trajectory feels like validation after years of stagnation in the rankings despite consistent excellence (e.g. consecutive top 10 finishes).