The truth behind Jon Rahm’s shock four-month break from golf and what it means for his future

Jon Rahm has stunned fans by announcing a four-month break from golf. After a flat-out 2025 and ongoing Ryder Cup uncertainty, is this the reset he needs – or a worrying sign for one of Europe’s biggest stars?

Jon Rahm has revealed that he will step away from competitive golf for almost four months, bringing an early end to his 2025 season and raising fresh questions about his form, focus, and Ryder Cup future.

The Spaniard shared after the Open de España that he doesn’t plan to return to competition until February 2026, when the LIV Golf League resumes in Riyadh. It means Rahm will skip the remainder of DP World Tour schedule, including the season-ending Play-Offs.

Rahm’s rest and recuperation

“It’s been a long year,” said Rahm, announcing his intended break. “I’ve never had three months off, but I’m looking forward to it. 

“Other athletes have it, and we’ll see. I’m lucky to be able to go home now, have a preseason, be a father, be with my family, and well, if I see that it’s too much, then maybe I won’t do it next year, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Rahm and his wife, Kelley Cahill, have three children, born in 2021, 2022, and 2024.

For most tour pros, the offseason lasts a few weeks, not months. Four months out of tournament golf is almost unheard of for a healthy, top-ranked player. It suggests Rahm isn’t just tired – he’s seeking a full reset after an intense and, by his standards, frustrating season.

A year of fatigue and frustration

Rahm’s 2025 campaign has been steady but unspectacular. He clocked up 12 top-10 finishes in 13 starts on the LIV Golf League, which was enough to win the season-long Individual Championship – but, for the first time in his professional career, he went an entire season without winning a tournament.

He made the cut in all four majors, including top-10 finishes at the PGA Championship (T8) and US Open (T7), but was never really in contention at either as he looks to add to his 2021 US Open and 2023 Masters titles.

By his own lofty standards, he’s hit a plateau. His frustration has been visible at times – most recently during the Open de España, where Rahm argued with a marshal who tried to cheer him up during the opening round.

After his drive found the left rough on the par-4 eighth hole, Rahm saw his lie and started complaining. “What a day, what a day,” he said, followed by an expletive.

The marshal who had spotted his ball said, “It’s OK,” to which Rahm replied, “Don’t tell me it’s OK, please. Thank you.”

The marshal apologized as he walked away, while Rahm continued complaining, “It’s not OK.”

Having won the tournament in 2018, 2019, and 2022, Rahm arrived on home soil as the pre-tournament favorite as he sought to surpass Seve Ballesteros’ haul and draw nearer to the record of Angel de la Torre, who won his national open on five occasions between 1916 and 1925.

But a 10-under-par total left Rahm tied for 9th, five shots behind champion Marco Penge.

“I’m frustrated. I’m so angry,” said Rahm after an opening round one-over-par 72. “I’m frustrated because I didn’t feel like I played that badly, and this course isn’t really one where I’d expect that kind of round.

“But that’s the challenge. It’s golf. You can win a major, and come Thursday, there’s another tournament going on – everybody’s already forgotten.

“It’s part of the deal. It’s a blessing and a curse. In a sense, when you win, you can quickly get over it. You move on to the next tournament.

“And if you have a bad week, again, you get over it, because there’s always another one following.”

Rahm seems to be echoing world No.1 Scottie Scheffler’s sentiment that the joy of winning is fleeting and there’s more to life than golf. The difference is that Scheffler said that and went on to win the 2025 Open Championship a few days later. For Rahm, there won’t be another chance to win for quite some time.

The next LIV tournament is LIV Golf Riyadh on Feb 5-7, which means Rahm will have gone 117 days and over 16 weeks without hitting a competitive golf shot.

The Ryder Cup cloud

Rahm’s hiatus comes at an awkward moment in his ongoing standoff with the DP World Tour.

Rahm has remained eligible to play in DP World Tour events, despite joining LIV, as he is appealing fines imposed for playing in LIV tournaments without permission – the same process that has also kept Tyrrell Hatton eligible. That appeal allowed both to represent Europe in this year’s Ryder Cup, but their long-term eligibility remains unresolved.

When asked about the situation recently, Rahm admitted he’s not paying the fines and doesn’t know when the issue will be settled.

“You know as much as I do,” he said. “I have no idea. I completely forgot about it – which is a good thing. I hope I forget about it until it happens.”

While Rahm insists he’ll continue representing Europe, that may depend on the outcome of the ongoing appeal and whatever compromise LIV and the DP World Tour can eventually reach.

The four-month break conveniently removes him from the firing line. He can focus on family, avoid awkward media cycles, and let the legal process play out.

But it offers little in the way of goodwill to the DP World Tour, the circuit where Rahm cut his teeth and ascended to World No.1. At a time when the DP World Tour has increasingly become a feeder tour to the PGA Tour, having one of the game’s biggest stars opt out of its end-of-season showcase is a substantial blow.

A calculated reset – or a warning sign?

There’s a precedent for sabbaticals in golf. Rory McIlroy took a few months off in 2017 to heal a rib injury, Jordan Spieth stepped away after 2021 to reset mentally, and Tiger Woods came back from long stretches rehabilitating injuries to win the 2019 Masters – but Rahm’s pause seems to be a strategic retreat rather than an injury-forced one.

It’s a luxury only a LIV player can afford. Guaranteed contracts mean he doesn’t need to chase paydays or points, and can take time off in a way that few players could.

Still, absence can have a cost. While Rahm resets, his rivals will keep piling up wins and staying match sharp.

If Rahm returns refreshed and refocused, this break could be remembered as a smart, mature decision that reinvigorated him and reignited his best form.

But if the rust lingers – or if his Ryder Cup eligibility evaporates – it may be seen as the moment his faltering momentum truly stalled.

Where does he go from here?

Rahm’s talent, passion, and pride suggest he’ll come back swinging in full force come February. But this optional break, coming during what should be his peak, hints at something deeper: the emotional toll of modern golf’s fractured landscape. LIV, majors, travel, politics, Ryder Cup questions, family – it’s a lot to balance, even for someone as resolute as Rahm.

For now, he’s chosen peace over performance. When he finally returns in February, we’ll find out whether the rest has rekindled the fire – or merely revealed how far the game has moved on without him.

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