“I’ll say it, we have really talented athletes in Spain.”
And with that, Jon Rahm submitted his entry for the 2023 understatement of the year.
It’s been a blockbuster season for Spanish sport, and golf’s world No. 3 has played a leading role. A second career major sealed in dominant fashion at The Masters in April has so far proved the highlight of the 28-year-old’s most successful season yet on the PGA Tour.
By the time he tees off for his second round of the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool on Friday, the Spanish women’s national football team will be approaching full time of its opening game of the Women’s World Cup. Led by Barcelona star and reigning Ballon d’Or Feminin winner Alexia Putellas, La Roja is among the favorites to lift the trophy in Australia.
And should Rahm secure his first Claret Jug on Sunday, he will do so exactly one week on from young compatriot Carlos Alcaraz clinching a remarkable first Wimbledon title.
The golfer was glued to the screen as the 20-year-old Alcaraz stunned Novak Djokovic, the most prolific grand slam champion in tennis history, overturning a nightmare start to inflict the Serb’s first loss on Centre Court in a decade.
Like so many of his generation, Rahm grew up rooting for Rafael Nadal, but is willing to accommodate a new star in Alcaraz.
“I don’t know what it is, the guy has it,” Rahm told CNN’s Christina Macfarlane on Monday.
“It’s hard to beat Djokovic, no matter how good or bad he’s playing. But you lose the first set 6-1 and you’re thinking – you’ve seen Djokovic doing time and time again – this could be a quick one … but Carlos came back and played great.
“He has the physical attributes and the mental attributes, what he needs to compete. It’s hard for me as a Rafa [Nadal] fan to say, but to beat the greatest tennis player who ever lived on Centre Court when he was going for five in a row, he’s very special.
“And just 20 years of age, it’s something incredible.”
Succeeding Seve
One Spanish athlete trumped even Nadal for a young Rahm, however: three-time Open champion Severiano Ballesteros.
It was a poignant footnote of Rahm’s Masters triumph that it fell on the late Ballesteros’ birthday, and the icon’s legacy will again loom large over proceedings at the 151st edition of the Open on Thursday.
No Spaniard has won the major since Ballesteros lifted his third Claret Jug at Royal Lytham and St. Annes in 1988, a 35-year drought that Rahm finds “crazy” given the lineage of Spanish talent that has followed.
Yet despite boasting three majors and over 100 professional wins between them, none of Miguel Ángel Jiménez, José María Olazábal, or Sergio García were able to convert strong performances into victories.
Perhaps in a Tiger Woods-less world, things might have been different, Rahm believes. Neither three-time champion Woods or Garcia will feature at Royal Liverpool this week, as Rahm sets off in pursuit of another special win.
“To be the first since Seve to win it would be absolutely incredible,” Rahm said.
“Being the oldest tournament we play, depending on your values, it can be the most prestigious. From what I hear, when you know you’ve won the tournament, that walk down 18, there’s nothing like it.
“I’ve heard that from every major champion possible, they’ve all said the same thing, and I would agree. Even if you’re just playing late Sunday afternoon: that ovation, that clap, it’s a little bit different to anything else.
“The only one I think comes close is 18 at Augusta. These are the two crowds that I would say understand golf and the game of golf and the history of the game better than anybody else.”
McIlroy ‘always a guy to beat’
Among those standing in his way is Rory McIlroy, and nobody arrives in better form than the Northern Irishman.
A string of remarkable late shots saw McIlroy clinch the Scottish Open on Sunday, the perfect confidence boost ahead of his latest effort to end a nine-year wait for a fifth major. The 34-year-old has not tasted major success since 2014, a year in which he lifted the Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool.
Nineteen top-10 finishes since, including third at The Open last year and runner-up at the US Open in June, unsurprisingly puts McIlroy among the favorites to triumph on the major’s return to Merseyside.
“He did an incredible job last week, especially the last two holes. That was pretty special,” Rahm said.
“Rory’s always a guy to beat; he’s a ridiculously talented golfer and he’s defending his Open here. He’s been playing great golf.
“He’s given himself a lot of chances in the Open … he’s been in position on Sunday many, many times, including last year. So not surprising that he’s a favorite.”
After a blistering start to the year that reaped four victories in just four months, Rahm has yet to win again since triumph at Augusta.
A tied-50th finish at the PGA Championship marked a frustrating major follow-up, though the Spaniard rebounded well with a tied-10th performance at the US Open. Despite some lingering frustrations, the addition of a green jacket to the wardrobe has been a good tonic to any major pressure this year.
“Well, I haven’t played my best golf since The Masters,” Rahm said, laughing.
“Obviously, I did a lot of good early on. I would’ve liked to compete a little bit better, but I’m feeling good. There’s a little bit more of a relaxation feeling when you go into a major after already winning one this season.
“I feel like you still want to win, but just the fact that you’ve already done it, and achieving my second one, gives you a bit of an edge on being a little bit more comfortable.”
Rahm tees off for his first round alongside McIlroy and England’s Justin Rose at 9:59 a.m. ET (2:59 p.m. BST) on Thursday.
