The Basque star won at Portstewart two weeks before The Open in 2017, and after finishing fourth at Ballyliffin in 2018, he went on to win again for the second time at Lahinch in 2019.
He did not return to defend his title when the 2020 Irish Open was played during the Covid pandemic at Galgorm in 2020, but like the Scottish Open, he admits it’s an event he misses since going to LIV Golf.
“I miss them as much as I ever did playing on the PGA TOUR as well. Whenever it fits on the schedule, I’m going to be here,” he said ahead of this week’s BMW PGA at Wentworth, where 11 of Europe’s Ryder Cup team are in action.
“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.”
As he waits for a decision on his appeal on fines issued by the DP World Tour following his move to LIV Golf, Rahm received a Ryder Cup wildcard from Luke Donald for the matches at Bethpage Black later this month.
He’d like to have Sergio Garcia by his side, but understands why Europe’s top points scorer didn’t get a pick.
“My heart is always going to say yes, right,” Rahm said of Garcia. “He’s a good friend of mine, he’s a Spanish player, and the moments we shared in Whistling Straits and Paris, personally, I’m always going to want him around.
“He did play good early on in the year, very, very good. He was playing incredible golf, maybe in some parts of the world that you weren’t watching.
“It seemed like from April on, he didn’t keep that level. So I don’t think he helped himself.
“I understand that while we are not earning points or the rankings, we need to make a really strong case to be picked.
“Had he kept that level, he might have been on the team, but he didn’t play as good as he could have. Subjectively, I’m always going to root for him.”
As for his own form, he’s done everything but win.
“It’s tricky,” the world No 80 said of a season when he won the LIV Golf Individual rankings and finished 14th in the Masters, tied eighth in the US PGA, tied seventh in the US Open and joint 34th in The Open.
“I played really good. I played really good golf. Finished second, I think, four times. Came just shy of two playoffs, which is no guarantee I’m going to win, but I would like to have a better look at birdie in the playoff.
“Any time you don’t win, it feels disappointing, but my average has been fifth. Like it’s been good in majors.
“There’s a lot of things, a lot of good things that happened this year for me to consider the year successful. I just wasn’t able to come over the line some of those weeks. I think it’s the nature of the game.
“I certainly think I did some things right, and luckily the year is not over, and hopefully I can end up with a win this week.”
