Years ago, when Jon Rahm’s first child was born, he said something that is more pertinent today than ever: “When I used to play badly, I didn’t want to see anyone, I wouldn’t talk to anyone, I’d go to my hotel and it would take hours to pass. Since Kepa was born, I see him and I instantly forget about what happened on the golf course”.
Today, Kepa was with his grandfather by the 18th green. Jon spotted them as he was signing his card and his face lit up. Rahm gave his son a huge hug and, in a flash, his tortuous round on day three of the Open de España presented by Madrid had evaporated from his mind.
Asked about it in the mixed zone, Rahm recounted an endearing story about his son’s expectations when he travels: “Whenever I leave I promise him I’ll come home with a trophy. Every time I come back, the first thing he asks is if I won. This year I still haven’t been able to tell him I have. It’s been hard explaining to him why I haven’t brought anything back”, said the Barrika native with a laugh.
Rahm is still hunting for his first individual title of the year. It will not be in Madrid, and he made the reason clear when asked what his goals were for Sunday: “Let’s see if I can play 18 holes without making stupid mistakes. That’s what I’ve been doing all week, trying to play a whole round solidly”.
Rahmbo made no excuses, when he doesn’t play well, he’s quick to criticise himself. Today the double bogey on 11 ended his hopes of a title: “That was a huge mistake”. Rahm overcooked his habitual fade, short-siding himself on the course’s toughest par 3.
On Sunday, the Spaniard will tee off a -4 in search of the impossible. He knows how many people will await him, and he won’t let them down. His commitment to Spanish golf is unwavering, and every year when he makes his pilgrimage to Madrid he proves it with his actions rather than his words.
