What happened today on the 7th hole at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid perfectly sums up who Jon Rahm is and why he is here. “It’s my obligation to come to Spain”. Loud and clear. That was the message the Barrika native sent out when he was interviewed mid-round by the DP World Tour. Seconds beforehand, on the tee, he had mimed snapping his driver. The ball didn’t fade as he had planned, and he feared the worst on the easiest hole on the course. Unbeknownst to him, his ball was sitting pretty in the middle of the fairway. The Spaniard is clearly dying to win this week, and he is unable to hide it. He is aware of the global impact a victory here would have, as well as meaning he would surpass Seve’s three titles at the Open de España. “When I win 5 majors and 50 titles, you can compare me with him”. Competitive through and through, but humble all the same.
Not even the elite can escape the need to adjust quickly to the speed of the greens. Rahm struggled more than usual to adapt his putting to the dance floors, which caused him much more difficulty than the gale-force winds buffeting the course in the Spanish capital. In the mixed zone, the player himself admitted that he would have benefitted from trying the greens out beforehand: “There’s always a difference between the putting green and the course, I do think it would have helped me this week. I felt hesitant. At least I’m familiar with the course”, added Jon.
In the end, the wind was not as ferocious as forecast, and the afternoon players enjoyed more success than those that had to get up early. Surprisingly, the first long putt he sunk came when his confidence seemed at its lowest. Jon laughed after his birdie putt reluctantly disappeared into the hole on the 13th, after a 20-foot putt that very nearly ran out of steam. The one he drained on the 17th, however, confidently surged into the heart of the hole, suggesting that there may be fireworks on the cards over the next three days.
Rahm has played golf in Spain again, and Madrid is smiling. The fans turned out in force for their annual date with the Barrika lion, despite the weather, cheering their hero round the Black Course at Club de Campo. He returned their affection by rewarding the grandstands on 18 with a classy birdie to close out his round. Despite the pessimism shown by Rahm himself on Wednesday, it seems the best in the world always deliver. The recent birth of his daughter on Monday, a flight of over 10 hours, and the fact that he has barely had time to practise, seem to have done little to hamper him. Rahm still towers over most of the field. “Now they’ll want me to win”, he said smiling ear-to-ear after his stunning finish.
Rahm turned in a -3 that included five birdies, two bogies, and he left the easiest hole of the course empty-handed. The rest of the field should be watching their backs. After less than 24 hours in Madrid, he has already found himself a comfortable spot in the Top 5. “If I finish close to the Top 10 tomorrow, then I can start to demand more of myself at the weekend”. Let that be a warning to the field.
On Friday, at 09:10, on the 10th tee, in much calmer conditions and now with some experience of the greens under his belt, watch out, because he could go low, very low. Seve is looking down, wearing that smile of his; the fourth is already a little closer.
