Jon Rahm: “I have confidence and, if I give myself a choice, I will have the opportunity to take advantage of it”

Jon Rahm is ready to face one of the main events of the season this week. The Barrika player arrives at the Augusta Masters ready to fight for his first ‘green jacket’ after a great start to the year in which he won three PGA titles. Before launching his attack on the tournament, he shared his feelings.

Yesterday, looking at your achievements, there were a lot of one-twos. There are many fields in which you are very successful. Is Augusta one of your favorites?

yes i want I like it and I’ve been consistent with it. What I have never done is put myself in a position for the second nine holes on a Sunday. In 2018 I was close, in quotes, but I had to finish with three birdies in the last four to give myself a chance… And that’s not counting the birdies I made on 13 and 14. Okay, can you ? Yes, but it’s complicated. Hopefully I can get to that tenth hole with, say, one or two strokes ahead… Because I’m confident, very confident in what I can do. And if I give myself a choice, I know I will have the opportunity to take advantage of it.

You commented that you’re a week-to-week player and it doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past, but it’s a good start to the year. Doesn’t this give you a plus?

Yeah, man, let’s see, it gives you more confidence on a Sunday afternoon because you know you won… on Sunday in Los Angeles, having won two races that year, I’m more comfortable in the lead that and how to do it properly.. That’s why I finished the way I finished. Looking forward to the first three days, it’s a lot of work to think about what you’ve done the rest of the year. And it’s a field where there’s always someone you don’t expect to show up and suddenly you’re there; An example is Corey Connors, who is not talked about much the rest of the year…, so you just have to do what you have to do in the first three days and then on Sunday you can surprise.

How special is the reunion of players like Sergio García?

(laughs) It’s good that we talk every now and then, right? But it is nothing. Man, I don’t know what you expect. Don’t think that every week I will see more than I do now. Everyone goes their own way and we don’t always get along. But man, was it good to see him. I’m glad that he can play the greats and that they can continue coming to this tournament, especially being a great that he won.

Jon, do you know what day it is Sunday? April 9th?

In what sense?

It was Seve’s birthday and it was also the day Sergio won the Masters. I want to ask you if you know… if you have it in mind.

I don’t have it, but no, no… I’m not going to add things that might put more pressure on what I have on a normal day… I know it’s the 40th anniversary of his second master…

And next year for Chema will be the 30th… Every year we will find something.

You love golf and watch a lot of videos, you can say you’re a geek. What video would you recommend to people about the Masters? Which one do you like the most out of the many you’ve seen or which one do you wear to motivate yourself more?

It’s not motivating, it’s learning… I can’t tell you anything. I always loved watching Seve’s back nine when he first won at Royal Lytham. Well that… From the 70s, which is 45 minutes, you can see what you see, but the truth is, it’s strange. From Augusta, that match between Phil and Tiger was in 2002, I think

The tiger only won by the smallest of margins. 2010 was also pretty good with Phil hitting ten, but these are the years people remember, right? I can’t tell you… Let’s see, 80, when Seve goes out with a seven shot advantage and after three holes I think he has a 12 or something like that and then on 12 or 13 and on 15 goes down he’s in the water and anyway, he wins by three or four, right? But even so… With that advantage, Sunday’s topic is a bit messy.

Did you miss playing with Dustin Johnson and Koepka on the same field?

The truth is I didn’t even think about it. When I saw Dustin yesterday it was like nothing happened. I didn’t realize it until I noticed that he was wearing Footjoys on his feet and I said to myself, what happened? …And Sergio instead of the Adidas logo, what? With that pokemon (laughs).

You commented that the golden age is alive now, especially the rivalry above is very good with Scottie and Rory, it really appeals to people.

Looking at golf… what’s happened over the years has been incredible, I would say, with a new tour coming out so you can see something different and the best of other tour play like we play. I think it’s the best thing for people, especially if we talk about Spain, which I managed to win three times this year. I don’t think we could ask for more… Well, yeah, you can ask me to win bigger… (laughs), but golf in general is having a really big year… and there I add Mark Homa, who since January of last year has won five times.

Will you be able to attend the presentation of the medal for Sports Merit that the king of Spain is giving you on April 18?

Don’t say anything, but don’t…

And well, tell us how it feels to win as the best Spanish athlete.

Man, it’s an honor; I always remember being in Spain during the Blume days and hearing that they gave it to Nadal, they gave it to Carlos Sainz or a soccer player. I never thought that as a golfer there would come a point where they would give it to me. The truth is that it is an honor. It’s a shame that they made an appointment with us in the middle of the season, it’s a shame that I can’t go. Even visiting my country more often to appreciate it a little more. Every time I come back I realize the impact I’ve made… When I’m here, as someone else, I don’t know.

There is a question that is quite complicated and difficult. The European Tour won a lawsuit against LIV players and will be able to fine the players. Do you have any opinion, what do you think about it? Have you talked about it?

Man, that they could be sanctioned doesn’t mean they’re going to be sanctioned, but it could be… I don’t know. I can’t tell you. I have said several times that they should not have the same rules as for the PGA Tour, because in the end you have someone like Sergio, Poulter and Westwood who have given their whole life to the European Tour and played most of the European Tour , and they made a decision that was best for them that they considered and they abandoned them, turned away and ignored what they had done for the Tour. Sounds bad to me, but I don’t know what will happen in the end. I am not in charge of the issue and I don’t know, let’s hope that whatever they do is not a very unfair or harsh decision against them.

A complicated Ryder this year, right?

In that sense, yes. I imagine none of them will be in the Ryder… well, yes they will be classified… maybe one of them will win two grand and get in and that’s it.

Jon, players usually adjust the season with peaks and valleys… depending on the bigs. With your three successes this year, would you change anything about your first calendar prediction?

I’m not changing anything… especially if I’ve already won three times, why change! Maybe it’s more of a question of working out in the gym and how to rest properly, to have strength, but in the end it shouldn’t change anything I do. In the end, they have given us a calendar as it is and the only choice is when not to play, right? I think when the PGA and US Open come around I’ll start to relax a little bit, which is the only time I have the freedom to relax and play a little bit. So let’s say the end of the summer with the Ryder Cup, because in theory he should rest a little. In theory… I don’t know how it would go.