Rahm aims to put his name alongside Seve
With the European Tour revealing that it is considering plans to resurrect the Seve Trophy, Jon Rahm has vowed to make his own tribute to his legendary countryman here today.
On 15 under, the 25-year-old is sharing the DP World Tour Championship lead with Mike Lorenzo-Vera and with respect to the Frenchman and indeed to Rory McIlroy, two shots away in third, Rahm is the odds-on favourite to win this event for the second time in three years.
A fourth title of the season would also mean he finishes the campaign on top of the Race to Dubai and so add his name to the illustrious Harry Vardon
Trophy. And despite there being a $5million bounty on offer ($3million for the tournament, $2million for the order of merit), the opportunity to emulate his nation’s hero is what will be driving Rahm today.
“It gives me goosebumps to think about that,” Rahm said, following a brilliant 66 featuring seven birdies and one bogey. “As a Spaniard, when you can put your name on a list on which there’s only one other Spanish name, and that name is Seve, is pretty impactful and really emotional.”
Rahm is aware he could come in outright second and still join Ballesteros in that exclusive club. However, in that scenario he would need Tommy Fleetwood to finish behind him and Bernd Wiesberger to finish worse than in a two-way tie for fifth. Fleetwood is in fourth on 11 under and Wiesberger struggling in a tie for 24th on two un