Jon Rahm does not like to lose, not even at tiddlywinks. It’s well known. Therefore, what happened today at the Acciona Open of Spain was not exactly a joy for him. He wanted to win for the fourth time, he had it within reach and it slipped away at the last moment after losing in the second playoff hole against Ángel Hidalgo. Yes, undoubtedly, there was disappointment, a lot, but it is not the main feeling. Above all, Jon leaves Madrid with pride.
“If on Tuesday, being in a hospital room on the other side of the world, you tell me that I was going to come second, well I would have taken it. Of course it’s a shame to lose in the playoff, of course I would have liked to do a little better and have won, but I can’t say it’s been a bad week, far from it. I’m proud of how I finished and of having been able to give myself a chance to win, which after all was the final goal”, he explained at the end.
The key to this outcome for Jon has been on the greens. “Ángel has looked very comfortable on the greens all week. Today he made important putts at the right times and I’ve had a bit of everything. I’ve hit very good shots and there have been times when I’ve been comfortable. And others when I don’t know what happened, very bad shots like on the 13th or 16th. Anyway, the short game and the putt have not been up to par to win a tournament. Until hole 16 I had missed three putts of less than two meters”, he pointed out.
Rahm has praised Hidalgo’s attitude. “He played very well. He made a great birdie on hole 14 and very good pars on holes 15, 16 and 17. He should have won on hole 18, really. He missed the putt on hole 1 and made some bad swings that he will surely learn from, but you can tell he’s a guy with a lot of grit. Maybe he made the day more complicated than it should have been, but well he won and I told him to have fun and enjoy it. Winning at home, a Spanish Open, to enjoy it, you could tell he feels it, it was seen in his reaction on the 9th. I know it matters to him, he should learn and enjoy it”, he concluded.
Regarding his future, Jon reiterates his commitment. “I always want to come. If I don’t come it’s because there’s someone who doesn’t want me to come. It’s been a lot of fun. Finals like this help encourage kids to play golf. I am privileged to be in situations like this. The last two holes have been incredible. Few of us can feel something like this and it’s worth working to get to that point. It’s an honour to be able to come”.
