Rahm a new hometown favorite
Spanish golfer set to play Phoenix Open
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Jon Rahm’s entrance into the media room at the Waste Management Phoenix Open on Wednesday was confirmation that life moves quickly, especially when times are good.
His agent, Steve Loy, was nearby as was a small entourage from JDA Software, a global company based in Scottsdale that just reached a sponsorship agreement with Rahm.
It’s difficult to imagine that just more than six years ago, Rahm flew to the United States for the first time, a 17year-old Spaniard who didn’t speak English and had promised his parents he would stay for at least a year. That way, he would at least have learned another language before returning home.
“Oh, boy, I still remember,” Rahm said Wednesday. “School had already started. I didn’t know what to expect. I was blank.”
Today, Rahm is a favorite — both of the raucous crowds at the tournament, and to win the tournament.
Rahm, 24, won six times in his first two years on the tour and has finished in the top 10 in three tournaments he’s entered this year.
“It’s unique, as a golfer, to get a similar feeling to maybe the Arizona Cardinals players will get in a home game,” Rahm said. “There’s not many people that can say they play in the hometown in front of a crowd like this.”
Rahm’s real hometown, Barrika, is on the northern coast of Spain. It’s often cold and rainy. When he committed to come to Arizona State, Rahm knew three things: The weather in Arizona was much different than home, his college coach was Tim Mickelson, brother of Phil Mickelson, and Rahm was going to stay the year.
“It was kind of fight or flight,” said Tim Mickelson, who now caddies for his brother. “His attitude was, ‘I’m going to fight and figure this out.’ ”
Rahm concentrated on learning English and has said many times he was aided by listening to rap music. His first semester, he earned a 3.6 GPA. Into his second, Mickelson knew he had a special golfer.
Four years later, Rahm had won 11 collegiate tournaments, graduated with a degree in communications and earned a reputation as the next big thing in golf.
“I give him a ton of credit,” Mickelson said, “for sticking to it, for being able to play virtually every college tournament available and graduate in four years.”
Today, Rahm’s English is flawless, and he’s comfortable enough with the language to parse questions in the news conference Wednesday.
Rahm, to a reporter who mentioned he “had a bit of a struggle” last week at the Farmers Insurance Open:
“Struggle? I mean I did finish fifth at 14-under.”
To another reporter who suggested Rahm “fell back a little bit” after a hot start to his career:
“Well, what part? When did I fall back? I won three times both years. Different continents every single time. I don’t know what part of that is falling back.”
Both times, Rahm was as polite as possible, but it was clear he wasn’t going to let what he saw as a faulty premise go unchallenged.
He displayed a sense of humor, too. Asked for his thoughts on Phil Mickelson playing in his 30th Phoenix Open, Rahm said: “The first thing that comes to my mind is he’s played here more times than I’ve been alive. When I was born, he was playing his sixth tournament around here.”
Earlier Phil Mickelson had marveled about how quickly time had passed. Rahm sounded a similar note when thinking back to arriving in Arizona as a teenager. Tim Mickelson said it took almost a year before he could have a conversation with Rahm.
“Not a year, he’s exaggerating,” said Rahm, smiling. “The first two months were definitely tough. But I think I was a little bit oblivious about a lot of things. It wasn’t the easiest thing, but at that age it’s survival, do or die.”
Rahm didn’t just survive, he prospered. He now lives in Scottsdale and might be the second-most popular player here, behind Mickelson.
“I love the week,” Rahm said. “I played good as an amateur and a pro. I was in the final group last year, so hopefully this is the one week where everything kind of clicks and I give myself a chance to win again.”