Jon Rahm has finished out just over one year as a professional and already has the bragging rights that he’s played in the four Majors. He’ll actually earn those rights after this Thursday, when he breaks in the Quail Hollow course in the first round of the PGA Championship. Not a bad start for the young golfer from Barrika. Great stats that reflect how difficult it truly is, and the merit Rahm deserves, only eight Spanish golfers in history before him have already played in the four Majors. Rahm did it in just fourteen months. Incredible.
However, if anything is representative of the Number 6 in the world, it’s that he’s not in it just to participate, which is a feat in itself, he’s in it to win it, or at least to finish as high up in the rankings as possible every single week he competes. And that’s what he’s set out to do this week in Charlotte.
Rham has already played on the Quail Hollow course this year, although the conditions this week are quite different. It’s rained a lot so the course is long and heavy, although it seems as though the weather has called a truce and it’s possible that it won’t rain today or tomorrow, which would be great news, most of all to go up against the complicated bermuda rough on the North Carolina course.
Rahm will go into the tournament in a great moment in his game. He’s coming off a fantastic week from the tee in the WGC Bridgestone Invitational and he only needs to fine tune his irons a bit more, especially the short ones, from 140 meters and down, to be in perfect condition. He’s worked hard these past few days and it will surely pay off in the results in the PGA Championship.
Meanwhile, the most important part will be the mental work. Rahm is making a big effort to consider this week as just another week, without giving it more importance than it obviously already has. It’s not easy. Controlling the anxiety to perform well in the majors will be one of the key elements to making it to the top, among the best of the best. Rahm will play on Thursday starting at 1:35 pm local time (six hours later in Spain), with Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler. Another great game for the sensational golfer from Barrika.