“Seve is a special player to all of us. To be second to him is a true honour”
Won the Memorial Tournament despite a late penalty, becoming only the second Spaniard to top the world rankings in the process
Winning the Memorial at Jack Nicklaus’ home and moving to World No. 1 is not a bad week’s work...
I’m incredibly proud to be the Memorial Tournament champion, win an event on the PGA Tour four years in a row and get to No.1 in the world. It was my first win as a married man, which feels honestly really, really cool. I wish the rest of my family could have been here with me, but for obvious reasons they couldn’t. I just hope everybody stays safe and we can get over this as soon as possible and enjoy life as it was before.
But still, it was one of the best performances of my life. Saturday was probably one of the best rounds of my life, and I finished on Sunday with some clutch up-and-downs. As a Spaniard, I’m kind of glad it happened that way.
How would you describe your journey to the top?
It’s been a goal since I was 13, 14 years old. I remember I heard a story on the radio from my swing coach back in Spain, Eduardo Celles. We were driving somewhere and he asked me what my goals were and my ambitions, and I remember telling him, “I’m going to be the best player in the world,” and that’s what I set out to be.
Every single day I wake up trying to be a better player, a better person and a better husband, and that’s how I can sum it up. Any time I can add my name
3
Rahm shot rounds of 69- 67- 68-75 to win by three strokes. This was despite his twostroke penalty on the 16th on the final day. to Spanish history or any kind of history, it’s extremely unique. Seve is a very special player to all of us. To be second to him is a true honour.
It’s pretty surreal to think it’s happened this quickly, in less than ten years. How many people get to achieve a lifelong dream in their mid-20s? It’s incredible. To be a Spaniard, the second Spaniard to ever do it, given there’s not many Europeans who have got to this spot, it’s a pretty unique feeling, so I’m going to enjoy it for a while.
How are you different as a player and as a man to how you were four years ago?
I’m more mature. There’s no chance I would have won this tournament four years ago, I can tell you that. Luckily I’ve been pretty good at learning from my mistakes and getting a little bit better each time. Here was a clear example of it. I could have completely lost it many times – maybe in the past I would have – but I didn’t. I just kept fighting. I’ll just say I’m happier and more mature as a person. It’s as simple as that.
Does being No.1 fundamentally change anything for you?
Golf is just what I do, it’s not who I am. That’s the best way I can explain it. It’s a goal accomplished, yes. If anything, it fuels me to know that if I keep this trajectory, I’ll be able to accomplish many more things in the future.