The 11th hole at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid proved a huge turning point for Jon Rahm on Saturday at the Open de España presented by Madrid. Just when things were looking up for the Barrika native, the most intimidating par 3 on the course had its way with him.
The Spaniard was firing on all cylinders, with three straight birdies on 6, 7 and 8, drawing some huge roars from the record crowds following him around Club de Campo. Lying just two shots behind the leaders, the home hero was right where he wanted to be. However, in a matter of seconds everything unravelled; two bad swings changed the course of his day. Rahm’s iron into the 11th was not up to his usual standards and his ball found the bottom of a bunker. To make up for it, he perhaps tried to get too cute from the sand, but ended up in the rough between bunker and green. The result was a double bogey, frustration, and a feeling that his chance to win the title had slipped through his fingers.
Once again this week, Rahm has demonstrated his commitment to Spanish golf, to the fans and to this incredible tournament. However, now his face was etched with a mixture of rage and disappointment, the same expression he wears at the majors when things don’t go his way. His obsession with winning knows no bounds, especially when it comes to Madrid.
He left the 11th hole deflated, and the holes that followed were a demonstration that golf, like so many other endeavours, mainly takes place between the ears. What followed for the Spaniard was a series of wild iron shots (14), missed greens from 70 yards (15) and putts hanging on the edge of the hole (17). Nevertheless, Rahm’s competitive spirit shone through and he dug deep where others would have thrown in the towel. The Spaniard eventually signed for a level-par 71 leaving him at a -4 total that will do nothing to raise his spirits.
In golf, there are days when you play well enough but score badly (+1 on Thursday), days when you’re close to perfection and you could have gone much lower (-5 Friday), then there are days like today, when one poor swing can derail your entire tournament. Golf can be an unforgiving animal – no other sport comes close to matching its relentless mental demands.
Yet, it is for precisely this reason that Rahm’s feats in Madrid are worth double on weeks like this. What he has done in the Spanish capital since 2018 is nothing short of astonishing. Tomorrow he will tee it up on the 1st hole facing an almost insurmountable deficit. However, if Jon gets even the slightest feeling that he has a chance on Sunday he will be putting his foot flat on the floor. There lies the difference between those that want to win and those that are obsessed with winning.
