That is, except if you’re Jon Rahm and you’re playing in the Rolex Series, of course. The Spanish golfer’s stats are astounding in this mini-tour of the European Tour golf elite. The last tournament was the Scottish Open, held last week at the Renaissance Golf Club. Rahm finished in seventh place, fighting for the win up to the 70th hole. It was his first appearance to compete in Europe since October of 2019.

That seventh place at North Berwick marked the eighth consecutive top ten for Jon in the Rolex Series, and the tenth out of the eleven he’s competed in. The stats are exceptional and, for the moment, are not within reach of any other player. And of course, none other than four victories need to be added to those top tens, all time record, tied with Tyrrell Hatton. The difference is that Hatton played 21…practically double.

Jon was not far off from taking home the win in his debut in the Scottish Open. He was tournament leader after the second round, thanks to two spectacular rounds of 66 and 65 shots. On Saturday and Sunday, the putter went cold and, above all, he made a few errors on very short putts, which ended up costing him the tournament. It’s not easy to get accustomed to the links greens coming from the US, which is why the preparation for the Open Championship will be invaluable.

Jon made it to the 16th hole on Sunday with options to win, or at the very least to make it to the tie break. He wasn’t far at all. Three putts on the 16th hole ended up distancing him farther away from the victory. Afterward, he hit two shots on the 17th and 18th holes which were borderline excellent, but they were just on the limit, and the movement of the greens caused the ball to land farther from the hole. Be that as it may, the best news is that his game is now very well-oiled after the big win in the US Open. He hasn’t budged one millimeter in his level on the tee shots. The preparation for the British was good. Links mode is now activated.

La entrada Rahm maintains his spot in the top ten in the Rolex Series aparece primero en Jon Rahm.

Rahm fought his way to the final circle, once again, playing in the star game on Sunday alongside Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who took home the win. Jon started the tournament off strong, with an exceptional round on Thursday. He struggled a bit more on Friday, but he made a comeback on Saturday with an extraordinary round of golf, placing him in the last round on Sunday, Bezuidenhout at a five-shot advantage.

The Basque golfer knew that he needed to pull off something just short of a miracle to win in the last round, and he attempted this daunting task with the complete, unconditional love and support from his fans at Valderrama. He made it all the way to three shots from Bezuidenhout, with a key moment on the 8th hole. He made a magnificent par putt from more than two meters out. But shortly after, a double bogey on the 10th hole meant he had no shot at taking home the victory.

Despite it all, he finished in second place, spectacular results just before the start of the Irish Open this week. Rahm has clearly demonstrated that he can win at Valderrama, just in case anyone still had a shadow of a doubt after his first appearance on the Andalusian course two years ago when he missed the cut. He will be back one day on another quest to claim the title, and let’s just say, it would be a very bold move to bet against him.

La entrada Rahm redeems himself, and almost comes out with the trophy on the flip side  aparece primero en Jon Rahm.

The golfer from Barrika defended his title valiantly on the Earth Course at Jumeirah.

Jon played another great week of golf, very solid from tee to green. The stats don’t lie. He was third on the regulation greens and twelfth on number of fairways caught. He was only lacking a bit more finesse on the greens to be able to fight for the win. Even so, he had possibilities up until the very end, especially with extraordinary attack he unleashed on the last nine holes.  

Rahm did not fold under pressure. He shot three birdies between the 13th and 16th holes, and he got himself knee-deep in the fight for the win. He still would have had one foot in the door if he would have finished with a birdie-eagle on the 17th and 18th, although Danny Willett, tournament winner, didn’t leave much room to work with in the final sprint to the finish line.

Be that as it may, it was a very solid week. Great play and excellent results. He played all four days under par, three of which he broke the 70-shot barrier. Impeccable.

Jon finished the season in eleventh place in the Race to Dubai, having participated in only twelve tournaments. Another great success. He’s the highest-ranking Spanish golfer in the European Tour, and it’s not even his main focus. He even finished out the season with a win in the Open de España, the third on his track record in the European Tour.

And thus, Jon ended the year and the European Tour season in Dubai. Now, Rahm will finish off with Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge, held in the Bahamas the last week of November.

La entrada Rahm fought valiantly to defend his title in Dubai aparece primero en Jon Rahm.

The in-form Open de España champion will return to Le Golf National after recording a tied tenth place finish at last year’s event as Race to Dubai champion Fleetwood triumphed on 12 under par.

Rahm has started this season with aplomb, securing a top 20 place at the WGC-Mexico Championship in March before recording his best-ever Major Championship finish at the Masters Tournament where he finished outright fourth pla.

The 23 year old, who hails from the Basque region of Spain, then clinched an emotional victory by triumphing at this year’s Open de España and in doing so became the sixth Spaniard to win the event.

The World Number Four signed for a closing 67 at Centro Nacional de Golf to finish the week on 20 under par, two shots ahead of overnight leader Paul Dunne of Ireland, with fellow Spaniard Nacho Elvira a shot further back in third place.

With his victory on home soil in Madrid, the Spaniard became the third fastest player of all-time to reach three European Tour wins.

This year’s HNA Open de France will once again take place at Le Golf National, the venue for The Ryder Cup on September 28-30, 2018, and will be the final tournament played at the course before Thomas Bjørn’s European team take on Jim Furyk’s American side.

Rahm, who secured two Rolex Series wins last season at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, is looking forward to teeing it up in France after a strong tournament last year and will be aiming to join a long list of esteemed Spaniards to win the event, including Seve Ballesteros and José María Olazábal.

“I am really excited to once again play in the HNA Open de France. It’s such a brilliant event and one I thoroughly enjoyed last year,” Rahm said.

“The course was in superb condition and I’m sure it will be just as good this time around. It’s a great place to play golf and I absolutely love Paris as a city with its culture and diverse range of things to do. The French fans are so passionate – you can really feed off their energy around the course.”

“The Rolex Series was a great addition to the European Tour last year and the events now have an added prestige around them. I was lucky enough to win two Rolex Series events last year and I am really looking forward to trying to add the HNA Open de France to my collection.”

Tickets for all tournament days of the HNA Open de France are now available by clicking here. Concessions are available for customers aged 16-21, 65 and over, and FFG licensees, while children under 16 are permitted free entry when accompanied by a ticket holding adult. A maximum of three under 16 per adult is authorised.

More than a golf tournament, the HNA Open de France offers a unique day out for spectators of all ages, and now fans can watch this year’s tournament in style by purchasing a one-day premium ticket for just €100.

The new premium ticket offering includes access via VIP entrance, one car park pass, access to the 2018 Clubhouse Restaurant, a glass of champagne served overlooking the golf course, and a Fidelity card (to be collected at the pro shop during the event) which provide discounts on Le Golf National green fees for one year.

For further information regarding Official Hospitality and VIP Packages, contact the Tour’s dedicated Hospitality Sales Team, who will be happy to answer any queries and discuss the various hospitality options, hospitality@europeantour.com and +33 (0) 170 378 805.

La entrada Rahm relishing HNA Open de France title tilt aparece primero en Jon Rahm.

There is no possibility for Rahm to win the Race to Dubai, because he’s played in very few European Tour tournaments, among other factors, and has been focused on the PGA Tour in the US. In fact, only Justin Rose and Patrick Reed have played in fewer tournaments than Rahm in Europe of those who qualified for the Final in Dubai.

Jon has truly accomplished an incredible feat. At the beginning of March, he didn’t even have the European Tour card, and eight months later he’s playing in the grande finale, starting in fourth place, having had the mathematical possibility to win the Race up to the second-to-last tournament of the year and with a win under his belt from the Irish Open in the Rolex Series last summer.

Jon’s big season in the European Tour was reflected in the award he received as Rookie of the Year in the tour, known as the Sir Henry Cotton trophy, a tribute to one of the biggest golf legends of the Old Continent. He has such a big advantage over second place that there is no way he can lose his first place position, no matter what happens in the Final.

Rahm will play in his first Final in Dubai with Sergio García, the second-to-last game of the day, due to the fact that the tee times in this DP World Tour Championship are established according to a strict order in the Race to Dubai rankings.

La entrada A rookie (the best), in the grand finale of the European Tour aparece primero en Jon Rahm.

Onward and upward for Rahm and counting in his first complete season as a professional. It’s the third Rolex Series tournament this year and his third top 15 in the rankings. His consistency is spectacular. In the twelve rounds he played in regular tournaments in Europe, if we add the four in the Open de France, where he finished in tenth place, those of the Irish Open, which he won, and these four from Italy, he’s accumulated a total of ten rounds below 70 shots, nine of which were consecutive: the last round of the Open de France, all four in Ireland and all four in Italy. Three tournaments, three different courses, three different types of weather conditions and the same caliber of play. Untouchable.

Despite the big comeback on Sunday, winning the race to Dubai has become a bit more difficult this week, seeing as how Tommy Fleetwood finished in sixth place, which slightly improved his position at a notably farther distance in the order of merit. However, it’s shortened the distance from second place, Sergio García, currently just over ten thousand dollars.

In any event, the young golfer from Barrika hasn’t given up yet, not even close. There are still tournaments left to play and this week he’ll have a great opportunity in the Andalucía Valderrama Masters in Spain, and Tommy Fleetwood will not be there.

La entrada Top 15 in Italy and nine rounds below 70 aparece primero en Jon Rahm.

The Spanish rising talent (born in Barrika, Vizcaya 10/11/1994) is relishing his home debut. “I really look forward to playing in front of the Spanish fans. Right after the Irish Open I went to Valderrama to practice for October. I felt a big sense of anticipation as I teed up on the first hole. I wish to encourage everyone to come and support us and watch some great golf. If the public enjoys it, we will enjoy it. 

“My first round at Valderrama was five years ago when I played the Sotogrande Cup with the Spanish national team. It was a different experience because my game has changed a lot since then. I remember playing in a gale.

“Valderrama is one of the best layouts I have ever played. It is visually attractive and wonderfully maintained. Golf courses don’t need to measure 10,000 yards to be challenging. I find Valderrama very exciting and a good test. You really have to think your way through and play all kinds of shots. Mistakes can be costly, so it keeps you on your toes.”

Jon was two when Valderrama staged the Ryder Cup; his father Edorta recalls how the 1997 showdown introduced golf to his family: “We are a group of friends from Bilbao who enjoy a lot of sports together, particularly skiing. Two of our gang were invited to the ’97 Ryder Cup. They had no idea of golf, but they returned home full of enthusiasm. Two years later, Eduardo Celles opened his golf academy in Bilbao and we all started taking lessons. My wife Ángela, and our sons Jon and Eriz took up golf in 2003.” 

The family became so addicted to golf that they took a week’s vacation every year to go to Valderrama for the Volvo Masters. Jon has vivid childhood memories of those tournaments where the trophies he collected on the course were the autographs of his idols.

“I remember my first visit with my father during the 2007 Volvo Masters. The first player we saw was Thomas Björn on the 7^th. Then we went to the first to watch Poulter and Sergio tee off. We followed Poulter who played a great shot on the first. I went ahead of my dad and was lucky enough to see Justin Rose ace the 3^rd, but my dad didn’t see it. We followed Poulter along the 4^th and we waited for Colin Montgomerie on the 5^th. The next thing I remember is the 17^th, a great hole. You need a perfect drive to a tight fairway and then you are facing a daunting second – it reminds me slightly of the 15th at Augusta.

“On the 18 green I got my shirt signed by Nick Dougherty, Paul Casey and Miguel Ángel, but I don’t think he remembers. Harrington had won the Open Championship that year and I asked him for his cap but he couldn’t give it to me. I didn’t bring home any balls, hats nor gloves, only my shirt with six signatures on it. We went from there to the putting green and to the driving range to see some more golf.”

Ten years after collecting those autographs, Jon returns to Valderrama as one of the world’s top players. “In October I will be proud to play my first professional event in Spain. I look forward to playing the Andalucía Valderrama Masters in front of my home crowd and will do my best to give a good show.

“The boy that went to Valderrama in 2007 is still there, with the same dreams and the same ambition. I am extremely fortunate that my dreams are coming true, but this year feels more like a Steven Spielberg film – winning at Torrey Pines and again in Ireland the way I did doesn’t even happen in the wildest dreams.” 

Edorta Rahm shares the same feeling. “I never imagined that Jon would get so far so fast. You dream that your son will make it, but being realistic, we insisted that he should complete his studies. I only started to believe that the dream could come true in 2015, when he finished 5^th at the Phoenix Open playing under an invite as the leading world amateur. 

“All our family and friends will go to the Andalucía Valderrama Masters – we are looking forward to a great week.” 

A press conference to announce the details of the Andalucía Valderrama Masters, hosted by the Sergio García Foundation, will take place on Monday September 25^th at 13:00h at the Real Club Valderrama.

Tickets for the Andalucía Valderrama Masters are available at:

TICKETS

La entrada Rahm excited by home debut at Valderrama aparece primero en Jon Rahm.

Rahm won on the Strand Course in Portstewart, in the northern part of Northern Ireland, with an epic show, in the top of the pack from the start, opening the tournament with a round of 65 shots and closing with another even more impressive round, in worse weather conditions, wind and rain, 65 shots.

Jon managed to tame the links. Another feat to check off his pending to-do list. He never quite got the feel for these types of courses, nor as an amateur nor as a professional. Now he can’t say it’s not his forte. The scoreboard says it all in the end. Rahm took home the title with a total score of -24 (65-67-67-65), with a six-shot advantage over second place, and he even finished with a bogey on the 18th after missing a short putt when he already had his mind on other things.

There were a few key moments this Sunday that lead to Rahm’s definitive triumph at Portstewart. The first one was the magnificent recovery he made on the 2nd hole. His putt for par from five meters away set the tone for the round. Jon wasn’t about to bow down and make room for anyone.

The next decisive moment, obviously, was when he sank the ball on the 4th from the fairway for eagle after making an error off the tee. It was one of the best shots of the year in the European Tour. He made it with a 7 iron from 140 meters away from the hole. Spectacular. It was a direct message to all of his rivals. Something along the lines of how he’s not going to make things easy on anyone…He finished the tournament off with another eagle, yes, two in the same round. It happened on the 14th, after getting past the tough blow of the possible penalty on the green of the 6th hole, which didn’t go anywhere in the end. He made it from around ten meters out and shocked all of Ireland, from north to south entirely. He had the win in the bag with four holes to go. A luxury only allowed by a select few all-star golfers.

With this win in Europe, Rahm will now move up to eighth place in the world rankings and has solidified third place in the Race to Dubai, very close behind Sergio García, who is currently in second. The standing ovation with which he was received by Irish fans on the 18th hole was the perfect ending to a magical week. That very same ovation experienced by Seve Ballesteros, José María Olazábal and Sergio García, the three Spanish golfers who won the Irish Open before Jon. Welcome to the club.

La entrada Jon Rahm crowned champion in Ireland after majestic performance aparece primero en Jon Rahm.

Two weeks in a row of competition in Europe for Rahm, after having made a remarkable top ten in the Open de France just three days ago. Now, he’ll start training specifically for the Royal Birkdale Open Championship held in two weeks. And the Irish Open will be hosted by a pure links course just at the foot of the Atlantic Ocean.

Rahm is a fanatic of the links, although at the same time he openly admits that he still needs to uncover some of the secrets of these types of courses in order to get a better score. He’s eager to have a good performance on the links and willing to take all the tips he can get. In other words, he’s on a mission.

It’s not Rahm’s first appearance in Portstewart. The young golfer from Barrika has already played on the course in the 2014 British Amateur. That tournament was held over two days (stroke phase play) on the Portrush and Portstewart courses. Jon played the first day on Portstewart and shot a 75, with three birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey.

It wasn’t the best experience in the world, although he knew how to keep his composure to make it to match play after shooting a 69 in Portrush. Be that as it may, as Jon says himself, his game from three years ago to now is like night and day.

Rahm will have a high stakes first couples of rounds in the Irish Open. He’ll play with Rory McIlroy and Hideki Matsuyama on Thursday and Friday, first day in the first session of the afternoon and the second day in the morning session. Keep in mind that the last two times he played with Matsuyama the first two rounds in a tournament, he missed the cut. It’s time to heal old wounds.

La entrada Jon touches down on familiar terrain in Ireland aparece primero en Jon Rahm.

Rahm shot a 70 in the first round of the second event of the season of the Rolex Series. He wasn’t very on point off the tee, but he managed to fall back on his short game, which lead him to win the battle.

He set goals for himself for the following days to come. He knew he needed to catch more fairways in order to continue in the fight. The rough on the French course wasn’t as demanding as in previous years, but it continued to do damage nonetheless.

He shot a 69 on Friday and a 71 on Saturday and survived, despite the fact that the driver kept veering off to the right. His putt was on fire once again, just like old times, and created a remote option for the win on the last 18 holes. He did need to lay low, however, literally. Sunday was the best day from tee to green. His drive worked like a charm, but the putt, on the other hand, not terrible but nothing extraordinary. He shot a 69 in the end, a good round, although it could have been much better.

Be that as it may, without altering the core version of his game, he was able to stay in the fight throughout the entire week and finished with a dignified top ten. It’s the sixth tournament he’s played in the European Tour and in three of them, he’s landed a spot in the top ten.

Thus, the best synopsis of the week is that Jon straightened out his game off the tee, a problem which cost him quite a bit in the Memorial Tournament and in the US Open, the two previous tournaments to the Open de France in which he did not make the cut.

This top ten on French terrain, site where the Ryder Cup will be held next year, will allow him to maintain eleventh place in the world rankings and to move up in the Race to Dubai. He’s currently in third place, precisely, after Tommy Fleetwood and Sergio García.

With his confidence back and convinced that “we changed the dynamic”, Rahm will continue to play another week in Europe. Specifically, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open by the Rory McIlroy Foundation. The tournament will be held on the Portstewart Golf Club course, in Northern Ireland.

La entrada Jon turns the tables in Paris aparece primero en Jon Rahm.