Will a three-month break from competitive golf help or hinder Jon Rahm in 2026?

Jon Rahm appears to be taking a lengthy break from competitive golf, but is that a wise decision for the Spaniard to take?

Judging by his demeanour on the final day of the Ryder Cup, it looked like he needed some time off.

Rahm clearly relished the chance to play in front of his home fans last week as he headlined the Open de Espana, although his bid for a third win in his national championship was blighted by inconsistency.

The two-time major champion was out of sorts in his opening 72 in Madrid, although he hit back with a 66 on day two only to fall out of contention with a third-round 71.

Rahm did manage to backdoor a top-10 finish with a closing 65, lifting him inside the top 60 in the Race to Dubai standings to qualify for the DP World Tour playoffs.

But, in an interview with Spanish media, Rahm announced he was shutting it down for the year and taking a three-month hiatus.

"The Ryder Cup was very tough, and last week was more of a recovery week," Rahm apparently told Marca. “I played well enough this tournament to have a chance of winning, but I made too many mistakes.

“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."

The timing of his announcement came as a surprise considering his DP World Tour membership status remains cloudy and the subject of much speculation.

His appeal against sanctions and fines for joining the breakaway LIV Golf Tour is yet to be heard, although he has played the required four events in Europe this year to maintain membership … in theory.

But, regardless of all the legal shenanigans, it would make sense that he has taken the decision to enjoy some time away from the sport for the sake of his wellbeing, both physically and mentally.

Rahm put his heart and soul into Europe’s Ryder Cup campaign. He’s not one to hold back, and the stresses and strains of an arduous week at Bethpage Black have obviously taken a heavy toll.

The warning signs were there on Saturday afternoon, when his long undefeated run in foursomes and fourballs came to an end as he and Sepp Straka were beaten by JJ Spaun and Xander Schauffele.

And in Sunday’s singles, he looked a forlorn figure while slumping to a 4&3 defeat to Schauffele as Europe narrowly survived the USA’s momentum fightback to clinch a 15-13 victory in the contest.

Describing his national Open as a “recovery week” was more than a subtle hint that Rahm has run out of gas, forcing him to take a leaf out of the Rory McIlroy playbook and enjoy an extended winter break.

His decision means that he will go a calendar year without recording an individual victory for the first time since 2016 - the year he turned professional.

For such a proud man whose desire to win stands him out from the crowd, that will hurt. But he also has the intelligence to realise that taking a break will stand him in good stead to fire back with vengeance.

Rahm can relax and unwind with wife Kelley Cahill and their three children, enjoying all the positive aspects of a normal family life - something he has had precious little of in recent years.

He will use the time to reset, reboot and restart as he gets himself ready for a bounce-back year, and it would shock nobody if he wins multiple titles in 2026.

With a fresh mindset and body, I’m going out on a limb here and predicting major glory for Rahm next year, he’s too good a player to go without silverware for any significant length of time.

Whatever the outcome of the ongoing legal process on the DP World Tour, he will be fired up from January onwards.

And when we get to April, who’s going to rule out the chances of McIlroy helping Rahm into another Green Jacket at Augusta?