Jon Rahm and David Puig attended the media this Tuesday morning in the preview of the golf tournament at the Olympic Games which starts next Thursday. As both competed last week in the LIV Golf event in the United Kingdom that ended on Sunday, they decided to rest on Monday, so at the time of sitting in front of the journalists they had not yet played the Golf National in Paris. They will do it for the first time today.
They have not yet had time to really get into the Olympic grind, but at least they have already had a first contact. Both are overwhelmed by the size of the Games, the grandeur of everything, the organisational needs, the buildings of each delegation and even the size of the restaurants, but so far they have not had many opportunities to watch sports live.
What both are clear about is that this is a special week. Both their eyes shine in a special way when it comes to defending Spain and fighting for an Olympic medal. “For me, being here means everything. I started very young and competing for Spain at almost all ages. Reaching the Olympic Games alongside Jon is a dream come true. I am excited and very proud of all the hard work behind it,” explains David Puig. At the same time, Rahm again recalls that it is one of the great objectives of his career. “Competing again for Spain in an Olympic Games is something unique. Very few people in history can say they have been part of the Games. Hopefully we can add some medals to Spain’s account in Paris. It would be incredible”.
As of today, the qualification system for the Olympic Games is governed by the world ranking. As the LIV Golf tournaments do not count for this ranking, the golfers paid by the Saudi league find it more difficult to get into the Games. If this reality does not change, obviously, Rahm and Puig, LIV players, are going to find it very difficult to be, for example, in Los Angeles 2028. To do this, they would have to do very well in the Majors. But very well, as well as in the few tournaments they play in circuits valid for the world ranking. In this way, asked about the matter, Jon suggests a change in the way of deciding which golfers participate in the Games.
Rahm proposes that each country should designate the players. “It can always be done, as with other sports, that the countries choose. There have to be some guidelines, but like the United States basketball team (and all countries) that has the freedom to choose whoever they want. I understand that it is a different circumstance, but I think each country should be allowed to choose who they want to play with,” he says. Obviously, this would cause some headaches for the Spanish Golf Federation, we already know that finger designations, and much more if there are only two, would open a lot of debate. We’ll see.
Similarly, Rahm has proposed that there be team participation, a proposal that most golfers and fans agree with. “I would like to see some team aspect in the Olympic Games, after all we are here representing Spain,” he says. In this sense, it is assured that in the next edition of Los Angeles there will be a mixed team mode. Jon, who did not know, approves. “I would love it. It would be very nice to share the stage with another player, do something different from what we do every day”.
Rahm continues to give great value to the possibility of winning a medal at the Games, but doubts that it still has enough entity to place it at the level of a Major. “Ask me on Sunday and I’ll tell you…”, he says with grace.
Regarding the fact of playing at the Golf National, a course he knows well, where he has played three times, Rahm assures that it is a point in favour, although by no means definitive. “Of course it helps to have played here and to have done well, but in the end this course is very easy. You have to put it in the street and in the green. There is no more. It is not complicated. Also, when you are the best player in the world, it really doesn’t matter. That’s the mentality you have. That players who play for the first time on a golf course win it”.
Finally, regarding Sunday’s victory, Jon gives it significant psychological value. “It was important for many reasons. The next time I get to win I will have the recent memory that I have already done it. You have that nice memory of having done it and that is an extra”.
