Legacy. Commitment. Duty. Responsibility. Some of the key words at Plaza de Cibeles on Tuesday morning in Madrid when Jon Rahm took the microphone during the presentation of the Open de España presented by Madrid and began to imagine the future.
Rahm’s immediate focus is this week, when he and the rest of the stars will tee it up for this year’s Open de España at Club de Campo. The Barrika native is gunning for his fourth national title, a feat that would see him surpass the great Seve Ballesteros in the event’s roll of honour. However, Rahm’s vision stretches far beyond the present, and he spoke about how the Open de España may look in a few decades time.
“There have been many golfers before me, and I hope to be another one on the list. Without Seve, for example, there would never have been a Rahm. That’s clear”, said Spain’s number one golfer during the event’s presentation. “I can’t give you all the reasons that I play at home, but I can give you the most important ones: the first is because I want to keep creating history for Spanish golf. If Seve won three Opens de España, I want to win four. And if someone has four, I’ll want to win more”.
“I also understand that it’s my duty. If it weren’t for the Seves, Miguel Angels, Chemas and Sergios, I wouldn’t be here. So I understand that my work is to come here and play. Let’s be clear, I love coming here, but I also know that it’s my duty. For many it will be the only week they can come and see me”, added the Spaniard. “I hope there’s a generation of people who have the opportunity to be or want to be golfers because they’ve watched me. I didn’t have the chance to tell Seve in person, but I have with Chema and Sergio, with whom my career has overlapped. Hopefully in 20 years a new promise of Spanish golf turns up at the 1st hole and tells me he’s there because he used to watch me play”.
In that regard, Rahm also spoke of how special it is to play in front of the Spanish fans. It’s a unique feeling, the Basque explained, and one that he would like to feel more in the future. “When I was little and watched professional golf, there were seven or eight tournaments in Spain and when I turned professional there weren’t any. I’d like us to have more. I can’t guarantee that I’ll come and play in all of them, but I hope we have more support for this sport in the future”.
Rahm is in no doubt that the Open de España, a tournament he has played year since 2018, is an attractive event for any professional. “For me it’s very easy to sell this tournament to the other players. The course design is beautiful, the city is marvellous and the way the players are treated is incredible. All of that’s thanks to the change in the organisation of the tournament”.
Gerard Tsobanian, president of the Open de España, was equally complimentary of the Spaniard: “Jon, you represent everything here in this country. Your presence at the tournament is essential. It’s unique and I’d like to thank you for coming here every year, because other great champions follow you”. Fittingly, seated alongside Jon and Gerard was Angel Hidalgo, the event’s champion last year and a self-confessed admirer of the Basque, despite their rivalry on the course: “He is arguably the most relevant Spanish player since Seve”.
