It’s time to talk about Jon Rahm
Now the dust has settled, it’s really time to talk about Jon Rahm. In Rahm’s first tournament back after testing positive for the coronavirus, the Spaniard, 26, birdied his final two holes to overtake Louis Oosthuizen and claim his first major title at the US Open.
A player that just two weeks before was forced to withdraw from a tournament in tears because he had tested positive for the coronavirus, found the resolve to birdie the final two holes at Torrey Pines Golf Course to win America’s national golf championship by one stroke. The victory was Rahm’s first in a major championship and made him the first Spaniard to win the prestigious major.
He has a unique back story. One that isn’t touched on enough, seeing how much it changed his life, and shaped the man he is today. Rahm was born in 1994 in Barrika, Basque Country, Spain. Born and raised in Spain, he was very much schooled the American way, and now resides with his young family in Arizona. He attended Arizona State University on a golf scholarship, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, and there he won 11 college golf tournaments, which is just second in school history, behind Phil Mickelson's 16 collegiate wins. They now have more in common to foster their already great friendship, with Michelson being a huge advocate of Rahm’s progression on and off the course. A US Open at 26, really was meant to be.
“He respects the heritage of the tour and importantly its history.”
It has been a meteoric rise for the Spaniard with a fearsome competitive spirit and passion for the game. There lies a Spanish bull within, but with that power comes prowess and one of arguably the best all round golf games in the world. Certainly, one of the most organic, natural and homegrown swings the game has seen for years.
The composure shown by Rahm to win his first major is a characteristic not always associated with the fiery and combustible Spaniard, however, a steely maturity has always been at the bedrock of his development as a golfer. A determination that you see only in the very best. That further development in his mental character coupled with great numbers is a potent mix. Paul McGinley wrote for Sky Sports: “If you look statistically and how he relates to the other players and you look at his distance off the tee, his accuracy, his iron play, his short game, plus on top of that his massive heart and guile, then it was only a matter of time before a major win arrived.” But I think there is further magic to come.
What I most admire is how he is a student of the game. This will stand him in good footing and make him a better role model for it. A purist at heart. Ready to fly the flag for tradition. He respects the heritage of the tour and importantly its history. He has embedded himself in the culture and leaned on the raft of experience and support it can offer. This is what makes the magic of the tour (PGA or European Tour) so special. Rahm revealed how European greats Sir Nick Faldo and Padraig Harrington helped him find the right mindset to land his first major at a thrilling US Open at Torrey Pines. "Nick Faldo texted me the next morning and told me a story of how he was winning a tournament," Rahm added. "He was leading by six with six holes to go and got disqualified, as well, and how he learned from that and got a win the week after." Using experience to his advantage, helping centre him mentally, is crucial at the elite end of the sport, and can make the difference between winning and losing. It can be the edge. The marginal gain.
His development is frightening and needs recognition because he has all the ingredients to dominate major golf tournaments for years to come, as there's an on-going refinement driving his success. A personal, professional and relentless drive to succeed. The complete package: attitude, talent and the last one: luck. How he has reacted in recent months and weeks, to disappointment and disbelief in having to pull out of a competition to then having the composure to win his first major, is quite remarkable. Add to the mix a layer of education, enlightenment and knowledge, sharing with his peers, as well as the old guard, it seems Rahm is not just best placed to succeed, but has embedded himself in the best way possible for many more tournaments to come. That makes him more of a threat and even more likeable. Even after winning his first major, his thoughts were where this ranked in the great pantheon of US Open victories, and what it might mean for a Spaniard winning it? He said: "This is definitely for Seve - I know he tried a lot, I know he wanted to win this one most of all." Romantic. Intelligent. Respectful. 26. And he can play.
An icon in the making? Just maybe.
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