Jon Rahm, on many fronts, faces the Spaniard’s big challenge: winning the PGA

Jon Rahm spoke to the press in Valhalla (Louisville, Kentucky) before dealing with last great challenge remaining for Spanish golf: win the US PGAhe the only ‘major’ not left in the showcase of any of the home golfers. The closest we came was twice Sergio Garcia2nd in 1999 (Tiger Woods won), and tied for 2nd in 2008 (he led by 3 strokes with 9 holes remaining in 2008 and ended up lifting the Wanamaker Trophy Padraig Harrington).

The Basque arrives at the second event of the ‘big’ on record at LIV Golf (remember, 54-hole tournaments), with a tie for 4th place in 2018 as his best result and needing to ‘justify’ himself for what he did. away this season. “I don’t think my game has any problems, I didn’t play well at Augusta, but so far I haven’t been out of the top-10 in LIV tournaments. The only ‘big’ ones I played were clearly not good. Am I playing good golf? Nope. But I didn’t think I was far from my best level.”

This, after saying that he continued to consider himself a PGA Tour player (he was suspended from membership), that he had been informed of the penalties imposed for playing LIV Golf tournaments in the same weeks in which there are DP World Tour tournaments without the relevant permission. (he remains steadfast in his intention to do whatever it takes to remain a member of the European Tour) and he may not be able to play in the Spanish tournaments in the fall due to the birth of his third child. Yes, he will do it at LIV in Valderrama (Cádiz) a week before the British in July in Troon (Scotland).

The Basque, champion of the USA Open in 2021 and the Augusta Masters in 2023, said that golf is a sport where it is easy to go through moments where there are no good results. “This is a sport where it can happen. You have to check what you are doing, it could be that you are playing well and there are just some details that prevent you from achieving a good result. You have to trust the process. There also times when I didn’t play my best golf, but I achieved good results,”

The one from Barrika, despite making the decision to leave the PGA Tour, appreciates everything he has received and the fact of the suspension does not change his view. Jon also spoke about the future of world golf and repeated what he always says regardless of his side: “Hopefully we can reach a resolution and that it’s beneficial for everyone.”

He built bridges with Rory McIlroy -coincidentally, the British man announced his divorce from his wife after 7 years of marriage- about a possible solution to the conflict: “Rory once mentioned the possibility of a world tour where the best players in the world is playing together. I’d like to see that. As I’ve said many times, we have an opportunity to take golf to a different level than before, and I fully support that idea.” In Augusta, with a hug between the two, there was a big rapprochement.

Jon Rahm was in Valhalla with the clear intention of winning the third Grand Slam of his career and acknowledged that, at 29 years old, he was shocked to play in his eighth PGA Championship. “I still consider myself young and the fact that I have played eight is crazy,” he said with a smile. Rahm will not be alone as far as the Spaniards are concerned. This week they accompany you the Catalan David Puig and the Guipuzcoan Adrián Otaegui.

The competitive level in Valhalla will be the highest at World no. 1 Scottie Schefflerwho returned to the ring after fatherhood, and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, world number 2 and recent champion of the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, as the main contender for the title.

But it would also be a perfect occasion – even if his golf is far from what it used to be, especially on the greens – for Jordan Spieth. The Texan can collect the career Grand Slam – the four ‘greats’ at least once – if he wins the PGA. Only Gene Saraze, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods accomplished this task (also Bobby Jones when the British and the US Amateur are counted as ‘majors’). The 30-year-old from Dallas already has the Augusta Masters and US Open on his record, both in 2015, in addition to the 2017 British Open he only needs the PGA Championship to complete his poker , something that has not happened since 2000, with Tiger Woods as the protagonist.

Among the participants in the run is certainly Tiger, who at 48 years old looks 15 ‘big’. The former world number 1 arrives in Louisville after completing his worst tournament as a professional at the Augusta Masters. He returned to the PGA ten years after the last time and assured a press conference that his body is fine. Tigre has been living with physical problems for many years as a result of a serious traffic accident experienced in 2021. “My body is fine. It is what it is, I want my game to be better. I don’t compete much, so I have to focus on my training and prepare at home or here ‘in-situ’,” said Tiger.