TROON, SCOTLAND | It has been a long time coming, but in last week’s dirty, windy weather on the west coast of Scotland, did we see the first glimpses for some time of the old Jon Rahm? The Jon Rahm of the short and powerful swing, the bearded countenance, the smouldering eyes, the man who in terms of burning intensity is the closest any Spaniard has come to matching his countryman, the late, great Severiano Ballesteros.
Remember Rahm in the Ryder Cup on the hills outside Rome in 2023, leading Europe by personality and skill? He was the heartbeat of his team and unbeaten. Remember Rahm in 2021 becoming the first Spaniard to win the U.S. Open in June and chasing Collin Morikawa home in the Open Championship one month later? Remember Rahm finishing four strokes ahead of Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson at the 2023 Masters, his second victory in a major championship?
In those days, Rahm stood for power, excitement, passion, a player never to hide his feelings. He was a crowd pleaser if ever there was one.
His 68 was his first round in the 60s in the Open, and it gave him a 72-hole total of 1-under 283. His tie for seventh place was his best finish of the year in the major championships.
And then in December last year, he moved to LIV Golf for a sum said to be close to $300 million. It seemed to mark the start of a slight downward spiral in Rahm’s fortunes. Some of the joy went out of his golf, and his skill seemed slightly diminished, too.
At the Masters he, the defending champion, could do no better than tied 45th. At the PGA Championship at Valhalla in Louisville, he missed the cut. On the Tuesday of the week of the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, he withdrew with an infected toe on his left foot. On the golf course he did not resemble his former self, either in demeanour or results. It was as if he had not realised the extent of the disapproval he would receive by joining the breakaway tour.
But then he fought and fought his way to a 1-under-par 70 in the second round of the Open, despite not birdieing the long 16th, where he drove into a burn that crosses the fairway, and not sinking a holeable putt on the 18th. “I would have signed for anything around par today,” he said. “I said that to my dad before I went out.”
A doughty 72 in Saturday’s difficult conditions continued his improvement, and he looked his old self on the opening holes of his last round, scoring four birdies to get to 2-under and at that point within a few strokes of the leaders. His 68 was his first round in the 60s in the Open, and it gave him a 72-hole total of 1-under 283. His tie for seventh place was his best finish of the year in the major championships.
“The one thing I keep thinking about all week is the fact that I didn’t birdie a single par-5, which I can’t remember the last time I played good golf, possibly finished top 10, and not birdied a single par-5,” Rahm said. “In fact, I played them 3-over par. That’s where I think basically where the tournament might have been for me.”
But as he spoke, he had a smile on his face. Perhaps his fortunes had begun to change.
John Hopkins
