I have what it takes to lift the biggest prizes, maintains Rahm
JON Rahm believes he is ready to contend for a first Major title after seeing his spell as World No.1 halted after just two weeks.
Rahm replaced Rory Mcilroy at the top of the rankings following his victory in the Memorial Tournament, the Ryder Cup winner becoming just the second Spanish player after Seve Ballesteros to achieve the feat.
The 25-year-old had targeted a lengthy spell at the summit after admitting it was a sizeable goal during the coronavirus lockdown, only to be replaced following Justin Thomas’ victory in the WGC-FEDEX St Jude Invitational on Sunday, where Rahm was tied for 52nd in a 78-man field.
This week’s US PGA Championship will be only Rahm’s 15th Major appearance and he admits his expectations have varied since finishing 23rd in the 2016 US Open at Oakmont, his last event as an amateur before turning professional.
“Obviously I want to win and I’ve gone back and forth,” Rahm told a press conference at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco last night.
“Shortly after Oakmont, in my third Major at the Masters, I was already one of the favourites to win because I played good golf, so I never really had that adjustment period.
“And maybe I didn’t manage it as best I could have, and I went from that to the complete opposite of trying to have no expectations and just trying to play well.
“I think I’m still trying to figure out the rapid ascent in golf that I had, which made it a little bit awkward in some Major Championships, but I’m used to it now, so I’m still out here to win.
“I feel like when you’re an amateur and first come out, especially at Oakmont, I didn’t play my best golf, I think (I finished) top 25, so I was like, well, if I play well I’m going to be able to win.
“You get a reality check that Major Championship golf is not just playing well.
“It’s more a mental test than anything else. I’ve been having some good showings and somewhat close calls, but I’m ready to have a better chance on a Sunday.”
No fans will be on site to see whether Rahm (left) can win his first Major or if Brooks Koepka can become the first player to lift the Wanamaker Trophy three years in succession since the US PGA became a stroke play event in 1958. And although Rahm concedes it will feel different coming down the stretch without hearing roars from around the course, he insists he and the other players are well aware they are contesting the first Major Championship in over 12 months. “Just for the sheer fact that we have way more infrastructure than we are used to every other week, it already feels a little bit different,” added Rahm, whose best finish in a Major is a tie for third in last year’s US Open.
“You know, Major Championship weeks you don’t need anything special or spectators to make us aware or make it known that it’s a Major Championship, right.
“It feels like a Major Championship. It feels like a good event. So hopefully I can perform like it.”
Along with Thomas, Mcilroy, Dustin Johnson and Webb Simpson, Rahm is one of five players who could end the week as World No.1 and admits it is unlikely anyone will be able to dominate the top spot as Tiger Woods did in the past.
“Not to compare it with tennis because it’s an extreme case, but it’s similar to that,” he added. “You have Rafa (Nadal), (Novak) Djokovic and (Roger) Federer who are competing at the same time. Who is No.1 depends on who plays better that year.
“It’s going to be hard to have a Tiger-esque case right now because there’s so many players with so much talent and are really, really good.
“It could be a situation where we are going back and forth, and hopefully I’m the one that stays up there for awhile, but it’s going to take a lot of good play.”