Rahm: "Playing in this tournament, in this edition and in this course is something golf needs"

Jon Rahm will face his sixth British Open and first at St Andrews Old Course. He tied for 11th in 2019 at Royal Portrush and 3rd ex aequo in 2021 at Royal St. George’s. The Basque, accompanied by his inseparable manager Jeff Kosky, but without his wife Kelly, two weeks after giving birth to a second child, attended Mundo Deportivo along with Spanish media present at the Golf Cathedral.

He’s calm and relaxed and taking advantage of his season so far: “they tell me it’s bad, six top ten and a win, it’s awful, I’m having a bad time”, he jokes, despite his last two. finals, at the US Open and Scottish Open.

Surprisingly in his long and extensive professional career this is the first time he has played the Open in Saint Andrews.

Yes, I started a year after the 2015 edition played and then covid had other plans, but I was pleased to be able to play the 150th edition here, it was a very special tournament, any year , but this time it’s more, many things come together but this one will definitely have a special champion. When I first came here with my parents I was very young, I was 3 years old, I hardly remember anything. Aita came to play golf from Bilbao, I don’t know more.

What motivates you the most?

Win and win. And the story. Being the first Spaniard since Seve won an Open would be unique, and doing so here, as a Spaniard, would be very special, but if he did it at Lytham & St. Annes is also milk because that’s where Seve won the other two. If I were the winner, I wouldn’t be too picky either, but the reality of equating Seve with something would be weird. Txema (Olazábal) and Sergio (García) are coming soon, let’s see this week …

I think you saw the video of your success in 1984 … What image do you have?

How many times have I seen it. This is the most iconic image not only of Spanish golf but also of golf in general. I was left with the image of the 18th hole throwing his fist in the air and with a face of pure pleasure saying “I put, I put”. This is with us all. It’s time, maybe the image of Watson making a bogey at 17, in quotes, but the putt at 18 is a fictional image that has become Seve’s logo. Moments for history too, even though he didn’t win, the putt he put in 18 by Constantino Rocca after the ‘toad’ he made.

Thirty -eight years have passed since Seve won here. Is there extra pressure?

Yes and no. In the end that’s an add-on if you win but I won’t think about the 1st tee on Thursday.

How do you feel about the links?

Good people good. I won two tournaments in links (Ireland), I finished 11th in Portrush and 3rd last year in Sandwich. So I can say beautiful. In this course, it is important to read carefully the direction of the wind, it changes everything, the game around the green and above all to calculate carefully and have a feeling of force on the putts, with five double greens. If I’m on the good side, it’s more windy, if I’m on the bad side, don’t blow it up. See when you can be aggressive and when you can be patient. I won’t ask for much. The gods of golf will take care of it but I don’t know if I played the Open in St Andrews without wind. I think there will be some days like today.

It’s pretty unfair that champions like Tiger and Nicklaus say that to have a complete race you have to win the Open in St Andrews?

They say this because they have won it twice. But talented players like Tom Watson didn’t win here and Watson had five British. If they don’t win they won’t say but in quotes they are right. Winning here adds a little more to your record. Look at the career he has and his success here, well imagine. It gives you more credibility. But if you give me a choice, I’d rather win five Open than one at the Old Course, simple and straightforward. And win two British and one here? I will always tell you two. The more the better. Yes, it’s true that winning here makes you part of a select group of champions. It is unique. take your career to another level.

Of the ‘route’ fields, which do you prefer?

This one gives you more options, not because it’s easy but it lets you play a little more, which makes it a very fun and very good course. Carnoustie was a pain but he’s a great player, I haven’t played Turnberry and Muirfield yet, I heard they’re very good links but I don’t know if I can play with them in the Open, hopefully.

In the times we live in, with the Super League, millions of prizes, litigation …, what does it mean to play such a tournament, full of history, of heritage?

If they pay us zero, both of us, it’s a moment where some golf dynamics have changed and there’s some chaos in the world. Playing in this tournament, in this edition and in this course is something golf needs. This is where it all started and it’s different to playing in Augusta or Pebble Beach, for example.

Last year he won a ‘big’ and number one in the world. So if in the end the second victory doesn’t come to a ‘major’, will you be pressured if you finish two or three in the world?

You’re not going to put more pressure than I put on myself. What you want I want to do and I do it. No one says it’s easy. Tiger has done this in the last 15-20 years and that’s it. Now everyone has a year like Scottie (Scheffler). It happens every year, in 2015 there were two players, then Dustin (Johnson), then Brooks (Koepka), then Rory (MacIlroy), also Cantlay. Let’s see if one year I won four times and I got two ‘big ones’, it would be very weird. Really, I play well, practice good golf and I’m not worried.

Finally, have you ever toured Saint Andrews?

Too many people. When you walk in with logos on your t-shirt, you’re pretty recognizable. There are several shops, bookstores, golf history books, that I would like to go to and possibly buy. But we went through this Monday and there were so many people … I hope I can come back sometime and come in and see at least, but I don’t think I’m going this week. ”