There are moments that define careers, the history of an athlete, or even a competition. Undoubtedly, nine days ago, one of those moments was experienced on the 18th green at Bethpage Black when Europe was playing to retain the Ryder Cup for another two years. Shane Lowry was the golfer chosen by the gods to keep the crown. It was all in his putter.
The story ended as you already know, and there was an exceptional witness on that green: Jon Rahm. The Spaniard had suffered a painful defeat minutes earlier against Xander Schauffele. The tension of the Spaniard was palpable. On one hand, and most importantly, the desire to lift the trophy, and on the other, the hope that the weight of his lost point wouldn’t affect the final result.
Rahm’s intensity in this competition is well known, and this Tuesday, he recounted in the first person how he experienced that moment. When asked by Ten Golf about how he lived through that moment and if he thought it might not go in, Rahm detailed how he experienced it: “I didn’t think about whether it would go in or not. I was praying, I don’t even know if my eyes were open.” This was a true reflection of how half of Europe felt at that moment, and he explained what he does in those nerve-wracking moments: “I focus on the player to see their expression, from the angle I couldn’t see the ball well and preferred to watch Shane’s reaction. Honestly, it was a very long second. Lowry told me he ‘pulled’ it a bit and it went to the left, but hopefully, all putts are like that and go in,” he concluded with a laugh.
Closing with the Ryder, the man from Barrika recalled what was, for him, the most inspiring moment of the week. With Olazábal involved, it couldn’t be any other way: “On Thursday afternoon, talking with Txema, he said: ‘Fortunately or unfortunately, I am the last captain to have won on American soil, I hope that on Sunday I can no longer say the same.’ Rahm admits it moved him: “I don’t know if it was because of how he said it, but for me, that was a great motivation in New York.” By the way, he has been full of praise for Luke Donald, the captain who now holds that honour: “The reality is that if people knew the level of detail with which Luke Donald has prepared everything, he would be considered one of the best leadership coaches. He is very good,” Rahm concluded.
The man from Barrika arrives at the Open de España with tasks to complete. He lands after winning the Ryder Cup and the overall LIV classification, but with the blemish of not having won any individual tournament. He does not get carried away by the excitement of having won the Ryder and shows another example of his dissatisfaction: “If I had to grade myself at this point, I’d say a seven. With the level of demand I set for myself, not having won individually prevents me from giving myself more. If I win this week, I could raise the grade to a 7.5.” Another incentive at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.
