If Jon Rahm wanted any reassurance that his shock transfer to LIV Golf wouldn’t hurt his probabilities of successful extra majors, he didn’t must look exhausting for proof.
After beginning with a four-putt double bogey in final yr’s Masters, Rahm ended up battling with Brooks Koepka within the closing spherical and finally ending 4 pictures away from Koepka and Phil Mickelson.
With Patrick Reed one other shot behind in a tie for fourth it was a robust displaying for the LIV contingent, who loved much more bragging rights a month later when Koepka claimed his fifth main title within the US PGA.
So whereas it’s plain that Rahm’s preparations for his Masters title defence are a world away from these of 12 months in the past – three PGA Tour wins in eight begins in comparison with contesting simply 5 54-hole LIV occasions – there’s little probability of the Spaniard being written off for being unprepared.
“I got here in right here final yr considering the identical factor about the entire LIV gamers, those that probably may win, they usually proved me mistaken,” two-time US Open champion and ESPN analyst Curtis Unusual admitted.
“Two or three of them performed very well. So I don’t suppose that’s a degree any extra.
“I anticipate Rahm to be able to go. I feel, due to what Rahm’s been by a little bit bit the final yr, going over there, he would possibly really feel that he has a little bit bit extra to show.
“However he’s extremely gifted, nice champion on the Masters. There’s no cause why he couldn’t be champion there once more this yr.”
The celebs definitely appeared to align for Rahm final yr, his victory approaching the fortieth anniversary of his idol Seve Ballesteros claiming a second win at Augusta Nationwide and on what would have been his fellow Spaniard’s 66th birthday.
It even concluded with the form of par on the 18th of which Ballesteros would have been proud, though Rahm nonetheless insists his tee shot into the timber, which meant his ball didn’t even attain the golf green, was not as horrible because it regarded.
“Out of all the good issues that week, lots of people keep in mind the four-putt and the tee shot on 18, which wasn’t as dangerous as folks suppose,” Rahm stated with a smile.
“What stood out to me is I had this picture in my thoughts of how nice I performed all week, which I did, after which I watch the precise abstract and I couldn’t assist to suppose, man, I missed much more pictures than I believed I did.
SEVE ON HIS MIND
“I suppose it’s a good lesson to keep in mind, proper? Not solely that I may play higher in concept however the truth that there’s a psychological lesson there, that you just’re going to overlook pictures and also you simply have to determine learn how to minimise the injury.
“Going again to Sunday, it’s all the time very tough to place into phrases. Only a few instances do I keep in mind in any sporting occasion to have so many issues line as much as make one thing so memorable for a participant.
“With it being Easter, with it being Seve’s birthday, with my caddie Adam and me registering because the forty ninth participant and being 4/9, the precise date of April ninth, being the fourth Spaniard to win it, tenth Spanish main.
“Simply a variety of little issues that made it a lot extra particular than what already successful the inexperienced jacket and being the Masters champion is.”
Talking of particular reminiscences, Rahm’s got here within the early hours of the morning following his victory, when he took benefit of his new standing to entry elements of the clubhouse that are normally off limits.
“I used to be there with my dad and [wife] Kelley within the clubhouse,” he defined.
“It’s one within the morning and I stated if there’s a time to perhaps get away with one thing it’s proper now, so I requested, can we go to the champions locker room as a result of I don’t know in the event that they’re ever going to have the ability to go up there once more. They stated sure.
“It was among the finest experiences I’ve ever had, to see folks’s names on the lockers, to really see the locker room.
“My dad and I walked out to the balcony wanting down Magnolia Lane, what you might see of it within the pitch darkness. Any person took an image of my dad and I speaking, me with the jacket on, and it’s one of many higher footage now we have.
“I feel it’s my dad’s or my mother’s WhatsApp image, which is admittedly cool to see, after which having Kelley up there for that as nicely, is particular.
“I don’t know if I’ll have the ability to recreate that once more with any of them, however I’m actually glad that they allow us to try this they usually acquired to see the historical past of it.”
