Jon Rahm marks a decade playing Majors. Or almost. He will actually reach that milestone at the next US Open, and interestingly, it will be at the same venue where it all began: Oakmont. However, enough time has passed to make an initial assessment of these ten years. With more beard, more poise, more confidence (still), and in the spotlight. Because no matter how he is, or how he arrives, Jon is always one of the favourites to win any week. Much more so if it’s a Major.
Rahm looked back this Tuesday at Quail Hollow, where the PGA Championship starts this Thursday, and he confessed what the biggest lesson he has learned in this decade is: “You don’t have to play perfect golf to win a Major. You have to have full confidence in your abilities and know how to manage the course,” he assures. The golfer from Barrika explains this conclusion he has reached in full maturity with his own experience. “When I watch videos of my victory at the 2021 US Open, I still get surprised. I thought I had played much better, yet I made many mistakes. The only thing is that I was able to fix them and manage myself. You always think that to win a major you have to play perfectly, and it’s not true. I remember that the Royal & Ancient made a 20-minute documentary with Open champions, and Padraig Harrington said —I think it was at Muirfield in 2002— that he played the best he could and didn’t win. And at that moment, he thought you needed luck to win a major. I think that influences a bit, but in the end, it’s about continuing to play good, solid golf and taking advantage of the good moments you have during the week. But in no case do you have to play perfectly,” he assures.
Precisely, regarding that Open documentary, Rahm has shared the reflections of the greatest that impressed him the most. “I think it was at the 2005 Open at St. Andrews where Tiger said: ‘Whoever plays best from 7 to 12 wins the major.’ I found it curious because there are still holes 13 to 18, which can be tougher if the wind blows badly. But it was interesting. Once, Lee said he prepared for the Open in Texas, with so much wind and dust that he wore protective glasses. Then he got to the tournament, and there was no wind for four days. These are things you can’t prepare for. One of the ones that helped me the most was Jack Nicklaus’s at Muirfield. I think he was one behind and thought: ‘If I finish 4, 3, 4 —birdie, par, par—, I win the Open.’ And he did. I found it very interesting. I’ve thought like that in the past too. In a tight finish, thinking: if we do this, we win. I think I told Tyrrell that at the Ryder Cup, against Xander and Patrick. We were tied on the 16th hole, and I said: ‘3, 3, 4 and we don’t lose.’ And we ended 3, 2, and won. I’ve used it before. I didn’t value it as much when I heard it, but then on the course, it helped,” he notes.
American journalists have put Jon in an interesting dilemma. They asked him to choose which part of any player’s game in history he would buy for himself. “If we’re talking about Quail Hollow, I would have to choose Rory McIlroy for his history here. Of course, for his drive, but also for how he has putted. An easy option would always be Xander Schauffele‘s putting. As for history, I could choose the short game and creativity of Seve or Phil Mickelson, the greats like Ben Hogan or Jack Nicklaus, but ultimately I would go with Tiger Woods‘ putts, especially the decisive ones,” he explains.
Another interesting topic he addressed was the Ryder Cup and Luke Donald‘s plans. Has there been any conversation with the captain where he has said: don’t worry, you’ll be on the team no matter what? Rahm dodged the answer. “That’s a question for Luke. It’s his team. I hope to qualify and that there are no doubts. It’s not for me to say. I’m not going to say anything,” he insisted when asked again. It seems obvious that Rahm would have to be doing very poorly, very poorly indeed, for him not to be taken to Bethpage in September.
On winning the Grand Slam someday… “Yes, of course. How many are there, six people who have achieved it? I would love to. It’s not easy. I would think about it more if I won a third different one, like Jordan Spieth has done. But right now, I prefer to think about accumulating majors rather than which ones they are. That is, if I never achieve it, I prefer to have six of only two, like Sir Nick Faldo, than three different ones. Although if you win all four, even just once each, that has so much value that you might prefer it to having six. But for now, I prefer to focus on number three. If it’s the Open or the PGA, then I’ll focus on the Grand Slam. For now, I don’t want to think about it too much. But yes, it’s a goal for all of us who play this.”
On the PGA Championship and it being the one he has always struggled with… “I’m aware that it’s where I’ve played the worst. My best result was at Bellerive, I think. Maybe it’s due to the versatility and variability of this tournament. At Augusta, you know what you’re going to find. It’s always the same course. At the U.S. Open, nine times out of ten, you know what to expect. At the Open, it’s the same: it will be more or less firm, but you know what to expect. At the PGA Championship, we change venues and configurations drastically. Southern Hills, Quail Hollow, Bethpage… they are completely different courses. So maybe that’s it: here you need a very high level of play more than adaptability like in the other three. But well, it’s speculation. I think it’s more of a coincidence that I haven’t played well.”
On Rory McIlroy and the Grand Slam… “I never doubted he would achieve it. Honestly, if that 2011 Masters had gone well for him, I think he would have achieved much more than he already has. It was a difficult obstacle to overcome, and his emotion showed at the end. His first big opportunity in a major ended very badly. He won the U.S. Open shortly after by a record margin, but every time he returned to Augusta, it lingered. It’s curious: when you see his game, every time he went to Augusta, I thought, ‘if there’s a perfect course for this man who can hit a high draw to perfection, with great hands and touch, it’s this one.’ He has had many opportunities. It’s never easy. It’s very difficult. I wouldn’t be surprised if this has lifted a weight off his shoulders and he starts a new streak, like Xander did last year: wins one, then another, and gets into many battles. With players like that, you never know.”
