Jon Rahm lands at Royal Portrush with the same excitement he feels every July when the Open Championship arrives. The golfer from Barrika, one of the top contenders for the title, feels at ease: “Every year I look forward to this week with great anticipation. Ireland and Northern Ireland have been very good to me throughout my career,” he stated in a press conference.
The Spaniard looks back and a smile escapes him. Jon clearly remembers the first time he played on a links course. It was with his father Edorta before the British Boys 16 years ago. The double Major winner learned a lesson that day he has never forgotten: “It was in 2009, at Royal Cinque Ports, during the British Boys. We were going to play at St George’s, but it was closed, so my father and I went. I remember the first hole perfectly: wind at our back, I took the driver and my father told me maybe I should hit a 3-iron. I said no way. I was young. It was about 300 and something yards. In the end, I used the 3-iron, listened to him, hit the shot, and watched it bounce once, twice, three times… It was very revealing to start with. On the next hole, we had the wind against us, and it was the complete opposite. We had a fantastic day. I loved it. I also had a good experience at St George’s. My first experience on a links course was very fun.” That’s how links courses are, and that’s how that teenager experienced it firsthand, never forgetting the lesson. That day, by the way, they made his father an honorary member of the course.
Love at first sight. Since then, Rahm has learned to master this very particular style, where the wind, firm ground, and creativity rule. A second place, a third, and a seventh in three of the last four editions back him up. This week, at one of the most iconic courses in the Open rotation, he wants to turn those memories into something even bigger: his first Claret Jug.
He admits that nothing would thrill him more than this trophy: “The Open Championship is the most prestigious event you can win in golf, I think the Claret Jug is the most special. It also has an order because it changes venues, so if you can win it at St Andrews, I don’t think there’s anything in golf that comes close. For me, the Open is that. It’s the cradle of golf. It started in this part of the world, and it’s the oldest championship we have, and that’s what makes it so special — the type of golf we play, the links courses, the elements, the weather, it’s quite unique. I don’t think there’s a word to describe it, but all together is what makes it so special.”
However, this tournament eludes Spanish golf. It’s been 37 years since a Spaniard last lifted the Claret Jug. It was Seve Ballesteros in 1988, and since then, although illustrious names like José María Olazábal or Sergio García have come close to the dream, Spanish golf has not been crowned again in the world’s oldest major. “Winning an Open is never easy,” explained the man from Barrika. “Seve played in a unique way. No one else has played or plays like him. He hit driver on every hole and somehow found the green and turned it into a birdie with the chip or the putt. It wasn’t normal, and that’s why he was so loved in Great Britain and Ireland.”
Rahm acknowledges that both he and his compatriots have followed other paths. Players like Sergio or Olazábal himself have been known for their precision from the tee or with irons, but not for that unpredictable and magical style of the genius from Pedreña. “After Seve, we may have had a great short game, but none have played like him. And that perhaps partly explains the absence of more Spanish victories in this tournament.”
If he could choose, Rahm would emulate his idol’s style without hesitation: “If you assure me I can win an Open playing like Seve, I would do it without hesitation. But there’s no way to guarantee that.”
Regarding his preparation for the last Major of the year and despite not having victories this season, the Spaniard arrives at Royal Portrush with a great haul at Valderrama thanks to his second place. He considers the Andalusian test as a good preview of what’s to come: At Valderrama, we had quite a bit of wind, and that’s always going to be very interesting in terms of preparing for this Major. The other thing Valderrama does is that it’s very challenging. With every shot you take there, you have very little margin for error, so it prepares you mentally for the challenge a Major can pose. Not to the maximum, but it’s challenging enough that you have to think a bit about it. With the wind, obviously, there are differences, but in those two aspects, it helps.”
Regarding Portrush itself, he acknowledges having two favourite holes. One current and one from the past: If I have to choose one, it would have been the old 17th hole. I think Adam is tired of me telling him how the old 17 was: “This is where the tee used to be. With yesterday’s wind, this bunker would have come into play. That was definitely my favourite when I played the Amateur here. It was simply stunning.
If I have to choose a hole from those we’re playing, it would probably be the 4th or the 5th. I think the 5th hole is quite unusual in links golf. It’s a great elevation change, a manageable par 4. I’m not used to being on the tee of a links course and having a view of the entire course like that, looking at the ocean. I think it’s a good hole. And the 4th, for its difficulty and complexity, I’ve always liked. However, it’s probably the 5th that I like more than the 4th.
