Jon Rahm is back on Spanish soil this week as he prepares to compete at Valderrama in LIV Golf Andalucia, and he’s very much at home in the immaculately manicured and conditioned course on the southern coast.
There is talk that a date change will see the Andalucia event move to June going forward, and it’s a move that Rahm would welcome – even though he says he’ll play it anytime – because, when it comes to Open Championship preparation, the two-time major winner admits that there really is no substitute for links golf.
“It’s such a wonderful golf course, a wonderful venue, that every player I’ve talked to — not every one, but a lot of them love it,” he said. “I see a lot of families come this week and some of them come early and stay late because it’s wonderful to be here. Food is good, people are good, course is good. There’s not really anything else to ask for.
“As it goes to preparing for a major, yeah, listen, it’s hard to get ready for links golf unless you’re in links golf, but luckily this is a challenging golf course so the mindset you can work on in that sense. It is always windy so you do get to play in the wind before going to the Open.
“It all depends on your preference. I do agree if you can play a links week before a links tournament it’s going to be great. However, if you want to play a tournament and practice. But it’s whatever the league needs to do to play a better schedule, and if that means playing in June, I’ll come to play in Spain whenever they want to. Whenever they can make it happen, I’ll be here regardless.”
Rahm, of course, has links pedigree and just this week, Paul McGinley tipped him as the most likely LIV winner at Royal Portrush next week. Rahm is a two-time Irish Open winner on links turf, taking the titles at Lahinch in 2019 and at Portstewart in 2017 – the latter, of course, sitting adjacent to Portrush on the northern coast.
And he was happy to double down on his love for Ireland and playing golf in front of the Irish people.
“I don’t know what it is,” he said. “I think every week I’ve had in Ireland has been such a wonderful experience. Whether it’s the golf course, the tournament, the people, I don’t know. I really couldn’t tell you exactly what it is. But every time I’ve gone it’s been overwhelmingly positive, so I think that’s led to me playing good. Or simply the fact that the first time I ever went to Ireland I played so good that I just kind of carried on. But every experience I’ve had there has been great. The times we’ve gone, even if it’s on time off with the family or tournaments, it’s always been such a great one that whenever I go back, I think I feed off of that.”
“When it comes to golf, I don’t know if there’s any secret to it, really.”
Rahm, of course, has an Irishman in his stable at Legion XIII in Tom McKibbin, and if a LIV event on a links course in Ireland was to become part of the run-in to the Open Championship, it’s safe to say Rahm would be a strong supporter.
