Jon Rahm has never made any secret of his love for Ireland, and more specifically, playing golf in Ireland. The two-time Irish Open winner is back in DP World Tour action at the tour’s flagship event at Wentworth this week, and he admitted that he misses the big-time DP World Tour events when he’s not able to fit them into his schedule.
“I miss them as much as I ever did playing on the PGA Tour as well,” he explained. “Whenever it fits on the schedule, I’m going to be here.
“Same with The Irish Open. If the schedule changed and had been there every year, I’d go back but I think I’m ready to make another appearance at The Irish Open because it’s a country that I love and a tournament that I love and I’ve done really well.
“I don’t know what it is about this whole part of the schedule and those events, right, the Spanish event, French Open, this and Dunhill, they are just really fun. And I think because of the intensity of the season or whatever it may be, it’s passed, in a weird way, it’s almost fun to be able to play these enjoyable weeks. Maybe that’s why I’ve always done well in these events in October.”
Both of Rahm’s Irish Open wins came in July when the event was staged the week prior to the Scottish Open and a fortnight before the Open Championship, but the signs are positive that the two-time major winner could make a return and provide another headline act alongside Rory McIlroy who matched Rahm’s two victories with his memorable win at The K Club last week.
Rahm has always been a keen student of golf history with an in-depth recall of the critical moments in major championships and other big-time events, and it’s no different with the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth where the Legion XIII Captain is set to make his first DP World Tour start in a no-major since the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January.
“It’s hard not to picture some of the great moments in the history of this course walking down those fairways,” he said in a pre-tournament press huddle.
“I think every time I get to 17, at least once or twice a week, I think of Seve’s comment to the photographer, right.”
The comment he referenced may have happened long before the social media era, but its since gone viral nonetheless, with the legendary Spaniard asking a photographer to remain still, adding “I know you are nervous, but I am too.”
In three previous starts at Wentworth, Rahm has yet to finish outside the top four, with a pair of runner-up placings in 2019 and 2022.
“I feel comfortable every time I play this course,” he explained. “I don’t know exactly what it is but it’s a golf course I enjoy. It’s a week I enjoy a lot. It’s a fun city to come to. It’s a fun golf course to play. I think all that plays a part.
“It’s always the end of the year, after playing all the majors and all the tours, coming to a unique week like this one, a unique golf course like this one is always a treat. I look forward to it and when I can come, it’s a fun experience and I hope I can keep the streak alive.”
Rahm will be the only Spanish member of Luke Donald’s 12-man team that takes on the United States at Bethpage in just over two weeks’ time, and he admits that though he’d personally love to have Sergio Garcia involved, he feels his fellow countryman didn’t do enough in the past four or five months to make himself indispensable.
He will, however, have Spanish company in the form of José Maria Olazábal who is one of Donald’s vice-captains.
“We’re so lucky to have José be a part of it because the legend of Seve comes so alive when he’s there to tell you the stories and tell you what happened, right,” Rahm said. “If anybody else is trying to explain what he was and what happened in some of those team rooms, I almost feel like he comes short. And I get a little extra lucky because even though his English is very good, he can put a lot more meaning into it in Spanish.”
But despite the proximity of the Ryder Cup, he doesn’t feel that the players are able to look too far ahead.
“Well, two weeks can be a long time,” he said. “Like I said earlier, we still have a tournament to get ready for this week which in essence helps you get ready in practice.
“Next week maybe a little bit more difficult since it will be a week off and your mind can wander. At this stage of the season, do proper practicing so you’re ready for the whole week.
“I think what you say comes more into play next week than this week but yeah, I’m on top of things. At least I’d like to think I’m on top of things.”
