TROON, Scotland: Jon Rahm felt he was one of the most popular players when he arrived at Royal Troon, even though it had nothing to do with him or his golf.
Spain are on a roll as Carlos Alcaraz won Wimbledon on Sunday, his second Grand Slam title of the year, before Spain beat England in the European Championship final, an event that left Scottish fans celebrating.
No one in this area likes to see England win anything.
“I finished 18 holes and I think I’ve been commended more for what I didn’t do than I’ve ever done in my life,” Rahm said Tuesday. “I don’t know what they did, but every time someone plays England, the rest of Europe comes together against them.”
“I think because we’ve heard ‘It’s Coming Home’ so many times over the years, no one wants to see it come back home,”
With Sergio Garcia claiming his first LIV golf victory at Valderrama, Rahm is looking to extend Spain's winning streak.
Mostly he wants it for himself.
The major championship season ended with the British Open, and Rahm has yet to make an appearance. He was a Masters champion when he moved to LIV Golf last December, and he has yet to win. His last victory was the Masters about 15 months ago.
He almost qualified for the Masters, missed qualifying for the PGA Championship, and he didn't even play in the US Open because of a foot infection.
“Last year, since the Masters, I haven’t played my best,” Rahm said. “The Ryder Cup was the only thing that was similar to the beginning of the year, but in Nashville and last week (LIV), I felt a little bit closer to getting to a higher level of golf, where maybe no one is thinking about my process as much. Maybe I can play a little bit more freely and see the shots I want to see more often.
“I’m getting closer to what might have happened earlier this year,”
A foot infection before the US Open was the culmination of a year of disappointment. Rahm had hoped to play for Pinehurst as the No. 2 player until he went to a specialist, who numbed his foot and inserted cotton balls into the infected area to clean it.
“When I saw the tournament, I said, ‘Okay, I’m not going to play the Open,’” Rahm said. “When I accepted the fact that I couldn’t play, I found it quite entertaining. I think like everyone else, I quite enjoy watching some of the best players in the world struggle.”
He understands the struggles of today, especially in the major leagues.
Rahm hopes to fix some of his driver issues with a new shaft, which he says has given him a bit more flexibility in his swing. At Valhalla at the PGA Championship, he realized he needed a change.
A foot injury was a major obstacle, but he was able to compete in the next LIV race and tied for 10th at Valderrama last week. He has finished in the top 10 in every LIV race except Houston, where he withdrew due to a foot injury.
The LIV has the same 54 players every week, and only the top half are considered the top players in the game. Not winning all year can be frustrating, especially over the last 15 months.
Now only Royal Troon remains, which is usually easy to play on the way out but becomes brutal — and windy — on the way back in.
Rahm had planned to play just nine holes on Monday, but the weather should be as good as it's been all week, and he wants to enjoy it, whether it's calm, rain or shine, while avoiding the sand dunes and brambles that are so important at the British Open.
After this week, golf starts to fade. He still has a LIV schedule to complete, but Rahm said his wife's pregnancy with their third child was not smooth and he was on bed rest. He doesn't know if he will be able to play in the Spanish Open this fall.
And it won't be until next April that Rahm gets the chance to compete against the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele. The best players currently playing only four times a year in the major leagues.
“That’s my decision,” he said of joining the LIV. “Hopefully one day golf will adjust and we will have the opportunity to compete more often.”
