LIV players stranded in Dubai arrive safely in Hong Kong thanks to Jon Rahm’s last‑minute rescue flight

A group of LIV Golf players managed to reach Hong Kong on Wednesday after being stranded in Dubai—thanks to a major assist from Spanish star Jon Rahm, who chartered a private jet to get them out amid escalating military conflict in Iran.

According to sources close to Rahm, who spoke with EFE, the reigning Masters champion stepped in after commercial connections collapsed across the region. His goal: ensure players could still make Thursday’s opening round of the Hong Kong event, the third stop on LIV Golf’s 2024 season.

Chaos across the Middle East

The group boarded the private flight from an airfield in Oman, which borders the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai’s airport operations were disrupted. Among those on the plane were Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin and American Caleb Surratt—Rahm’s teammates on Legion XIII—as well as England’s Lee Westwood and Sam Horsfield, Belgium’s Thomas Detry, Poland’s Adrian Meronk, and India’s Anirban Lahiri.

“I made it safely to Hong Kong,” Meronk posted on social media. “Thank you to everyone who helped me get here, and thanks for all your messages and concern. Stay safe in the UAE—I hope to be back home soon.”

Dubai was one of several Gulf locations affected by Iranian missile strikes this week, launched in response to U.S. and Israeli military actions that began Saturday.

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