I won’t let fans Rahm dunk game under water
KEEPING HEAD UP Rahm
JON RAHM is braced for trash talk on the tee with fans back in position at Sawgrass’ notorious island par-three 17th tomorrow.
Around 10,000 are expected, with restrictions slowly being lifted on the PGA Tour in time for the Players Championship.
Water circling the green has swallowed at least one ball in every round of the Players entering this week.
He said: “I’m pretty sure every time I’ve stepped on that tee I’ve had something said to me. It’s your choice whether to react to it or not.
“It’s part of sport’s atmosphere nowadays, so it is not like we don’t know it’s coming. When people are trying to talk trash and throw you off your game, that usually doesn’t bother us.
“You can use it to your advantage. But then you also don’t want to get too full of yourself. You’ve got to maintain your level of concentration, you’ve got to go out there and be brave.”
Bryson DeChambeau, fresh from winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday, will tee up with world No.1 Dustin Johnson.
But in a warning to rivals, he only rated his game as a “C” and said: “From my perspective, I just didn’t feel like I had it all. I was working hard trying to figure out my swing late Saturday night again and even Sunday.”
PEP GUARDIOLA admits his Manchester City stars are fired up to give Southampton a roasting at the Etihad.
City have been left licking their wounds after bitter rivals Manchester United ended their 21-game winning streak.
Boss Guardiola said: “There’s been a mixture of disappointment and sadness but today they were on fire at training.
“I don’t have any doubts. How they talk between themselves after the United game, what they have to do and how they can improve shows me that the team is alive.”
Ralph Hasenhuttl wants Che Adams’ scoring to explode after the striker ended his goalless streak at Sheffield United.
The Saints boss said: “He had a long run again when he didn’t score but maybe we have the ketchup bottle phenomenon – a long time, nothing. Then everything comes.”