Tiger Woods' Old Wounds Reopened by Jon Rahm Before DP World Tour Event Kicks Off: 'Special Moment' - FOGOLF

Jon Rahm wouldn’t have meant to twist the knife. But his latest reflection on the Ryder Cup would most likely bring back painful memories for Tiger Woods. Reflecting on his debut at the biennial event, the Spaniard called it his “most tense and special moment.” What makes this moment special is Tiger Woods, the man who has been the face of golf for many fans for several years.

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Rahm is back home playing at the Spanish Open after what he calls “the chaos” of Europe’s win in the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, New York. Since it had been only weeks after the historic away win, questions about the biennial event were natural. But when asked about his most special moment in Ryder Cup events, Rahm mentioned a moment from the very beginning of the journey.

Reflecting on the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris, Rahm said, “The Ryder Cup, my most tense and special moment was that first point against Tiger.”

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Jon Rahm is already on site ahead of the Spanish Open. He’ll be looking to become a 4 time winner of the event later this week in another strong field on the DP World Tour 🇪🇸

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— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) October 6, 2025

It was in 2018 that the European Ryder Cup star made his debut. A debut in the most chaotic and emotional tournament in golf is pretty intense in itself. To make things worse for Rahm, he was matched against Tiger Woods in the singles. But who would have known that the debutant would hold his nerve and defeat the 15x major winner?

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He didn’t even let Tiger finish the course by defeating him at the 17th green. He hit an iron shot to close range and a birdie to seal victory with a score of 2-1. What makes this even worse for Woods is that this was his comeback to the Ryder Cup after his last appearance in 2012, but he ended up with an unwanted record, a 0-4 finish.

This wasn’t even the first time. In 2017, Tiger was making his comeback to professional golf. However, his return to the PGA Tour was cut short with a missed cut at the Farmers Insurance Open. He completed the first two rounds at 76-72. The person who won the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open was none other than Jon Rahm. The Spaniard put up a 13 under par score with rounds of 72-69-69-65 to defeat Charles Howell III and C.T. Pan, who tied in second.

While this was Rahm’s special Ryder Cup moment, 2025’s biennial event was the toughest and most fun. He said, “The way we approached it as a team, how we came together, and even then, how difficult it was going to be mentally with the crowd. It was hostile, at times unbelievable, just non-stop from the moment you arrived until the moment you left again.”

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He is talking about the comments from the crowd. Almost the entire European team faced heckling incidents across all three days. From chants of “f–k you, Rory” even by the announcer Heather McMahan to jabs at Robert MacIntyre’s physique, New York fans made many comments at Bethpage Black. But the European team still emerged victorious at the end of Sunday. This could certainly make a week tough and fun. But for Jon Rahm, winning at the 2031 could top even this excitement and emotion.

“It’s going to be difficult to top that week. I don’t know how you could ever have a better week. Only the 2031 Ryder Cup in Spain could be even more special,” said Rahm. It would certainly be more special if the European team wins the Ryder Cup hosted by Jon’s nation.

While 2031 is far from now, Jon Rahm can make this week special, too, by winning his fourth Spanish Open title.

Jon’s history at the Spanish Open

Jon Rahm has won the Spanish Open (Open de España) three times. In 2018, he won with a final score of 20 under par at 268. He finished two strokes ahead of Paul Dunne with a final-round of 5 under par 67. The second time, he won by defending his title in 2019 by defeating Rafa Cabrera-Bello with a margin of five strokes. He completed all four rounds with 22 under par. Then the third time, he went a notch up in 2022 to win with 25 under par. The runner-up, Matthieu Pavon, was nowhere near him and finished 6 strokes behind Rahm.

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Currently, Rahm ties the record of most Spanish Open titles with a fellow Spaniard, Seve Ballesteros. Seve won the title in 1981, 1984, and 1995. Jon is competing for a record fourth title to surpass Seve and become the golfer with the most wins in the Spanish Open.

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7 years later, that Paris showdown between Rahm and Woods still carries a lot of weight. For Tiger Woods, it might be the year he finished the Ryder Cup with a 0-4. On the other hand, that showdown symbolizes Rahm’s growth. His career has only become more impressive after defeating Tiger in Paris. With a win at the Spanish Open, he can add another milestone record to his already fulfilling career.