It has looked like an inevitability for some weeks, but following Jon Rahm’s runner-up finish in the Mexico Open, he has now surpassed the record for the most money earned in a PGA Tour season.
Rahm couldn’t quite do enough to secure his fifth win of the season and claim the $1.386m prize money at Vidanta Vallarta, with Tony Finau holding off the challenge of the Spaniard to claim his sixth PGA Tour win.
However, Rahm still earned a sizeable $839,300 for his efforts to push his earnings for the 2022/23 season to $14,462,840. That beats the record Scottie Scheffler set last year, who finished the season with $14,046,910.
As well as his incredible form, Rahm has also benefited from the introduction of designated events to the PGA Tour this season. For example, his win in the Genesis Invitational earned him $3.6m, while he also banked big money following his victories in the Sentry Tournament of Champions and The Masters. However, the speed with which Rahm has beat Scheffler’s record is breathtaking.
Last year, the American needed 25 events to secure his total, whereas Rahm has surpassed it after just 12. With more designated events to come and the World No.1’s form showing no sign of waning, he is surely still some way short of what will eventually be the final tally.
One of those events, the Wells Fargo Championship, takes place this week at Quail Hollow. However, while the likes of World No.3 Rory McIlroy will be making his first appearance since The Masters, neither Rahm nor Scheffler are playing as they have opted to make this the designated event they are entitled to skip.
Rahm, in particular, has spoken of his desire for a break in recent weeks after a packed schedule. Following his Augusta National victory, the 28-year-old played in the following week’s RBC Heritage, where he admitted he was doing so as he “made a commitment” despite suffering from fatigue after his exertions at the Major. Rahm then missed the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, but admitted before last week’s event that he was still tired after his Augusta win.
Following the Mexico Open, Rahm again stressed the importance of rest. He said: "Right now I've got a couple sponsor days coming up the next few days and after that I probably need a bit of time off, just a little bit of rest. Not too much, just mind, body and soul just need it. It's been a lot of golf. And again, I haven't had time to really sit back and rest after the Masters. I'm looking forward to do that."
However, it won’t be long until we see Rahm in action again, with the PGA Championship coming later this month. While Rahm will go into that tournament eager to secure back-to-back Major wins, he could also have his sights set on another milestone. After joining the PGA Tour in 2016, he is now within $1m of surpassing $50m in career earnings, at $49,486,883.
