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AUGUSTA, Ga. — Don’t sleep on Jon Rahm this week at the 89th Masters.
Since taking a boatload of money to go to LIV, the 2023 champion has become golf’s forgotten man. The former world No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking has been playing in obscurity, racking up top-10 finishes but his major record was spotty last season – T-45 at the Masters, missed cut at the PGA, a withdrawal at the U.S. Open due to injury and a back-door top-10 at the British.
LIV events don’t earn world ranking points, which makes it harder to judge where he stands in the game. But when the Spaniard, who turned 30 in November, shifts into Rambo mode, he just might be the best player in the world. Here are five reasons he could pick up his second Green Jacket and third major overall.
When asked where he would rank himself, Rahm wondered whether he was still in the top 100.
“A couple weeks to go, and I'll be gone,” said Rahm, who entered the week at No. 80. “I mean, I'm not going to say exactly a number, but I would still undoubtedly consider myself a top-10 player in the world.”
He added: “But I think last year the state of my game was being unfairly judged based on how I played here and at the PGA compared to how I really played throughout the whole year. It's hard to tell nowadays.”
Data Golf, which is a better judge these days of where Rahm ranks, has him ranked No. 4. He ain't No. 80, that's for sure!
CBS’s Colt Knost has a better idea than most of Rahm's form. He said he played with Rahm recently and his game looks as good as ever.
“It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he was wearing a Green Jacket again on Sunday,” Knost said.
In the second half of last season, Rahm finished runner-up in the Spanish Open, T-5 in the Olympics in Paris and T-7 in both the British Open at Royal Troon and a DP World Tour event in St. Andrews. How is Rahm feeling about his early-season form on LIV?
“Feeling good, feeling very good,” he said. “Playing at Doral last week was extremely challenging. It was definitely one of the hardest setups I've played. And besides one bad score on 17 on Sunday, which was actually one of the better swings of the week that led to a very bad number, I feel really good. I feel like I played better than obviously the score reflects, but at the end of the day, it's golf. Feeling really, really good about this year in general.”
Rahm, 30, is now a parent of three, adjusting to the work-life balance struggles of parents everywhere. The Spaniard said he feels more at ease coming into the week than a year ago, when he was the defending champion and his move to LIV remained fresh on everyone’s mind. Rahm had recorded five top-10s, including his win at Augusta, before his T-45 last year. This is a course that has always fit his eye.
Rahm is making his ninth career start at the Masters and his preparation for the season’s first major does match up in at least one way to 2023 when he won. Could it mean that Scottie Scheffler is draping a jacket back on Rahm again?
“Out of those nine, seven I came early to practice, this being the second time that I haven't come early, and the other time was '23, where I ended up winning,” Rahm said. “I feel like this year with the third child and other things in the schedule for the year, I didn't have the time to come, at least when the weather was good enough.”
Asked if it was a superstitious thing, he said, “No, God no. It just worked out that way. No, if I win this year, then I definitely won't come again early.”
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Masters predictions: 5 reasons to pick Jon Rahm at Augusta
Continue reading...
Since taking a boatload of money to go to LIV, the 2023 champion has become golf’s forgotten man. The former world No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking has been playing in obscurity, racking up top-10 finishes but his major record was spotty last season – T-45 at the Masters, missed cut at the PGA, a withdrawal at the U.S. Open due to injury and a back-door top-10 at the British.
LIV events don’t earn world ranking points, which makes it harder to judge where he stands in the game. But when the Spaniard, who turned 30 in November, shifts into Rambo mode, he just might be the best player in the world. Here are five reasons he could pick up his second Green Jacket and third major overall.
‘Unfairly judged,’ still a top-10 player
When asked where he would rank himself, Rahm wondered whether he was still in the top 100.
“A couple weeks to go, and I'll be gone,” said Rahm, who entered the week at No. 80. “I mean, I'm not going to say exactly a number, but I would still undoubtedly consider myself a top-10 player in the world.”
He added: “But I think last year the state of my game was being unfairly judged based on how I played here and at the PGA compared to how I really played throughout the whole year. It's hard to tell nowadays.”
Data Golf, which is a better judge these days of where Rahm ranks, has him ranked No. 4. He ain't No. 80, that's for sure!
Knost: ‘As good as ever’
CBS’s Colt Knost has a better idea than most of Rahm's form. He said he played with Rahm recently and his game looks as good as ever.
“It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he was wearing a Green Jacket again on Sunday,” Knost said.
Game trending: ‘Feeling very good’
In the second half of last season, Rahm finished runner-up in the Spanish Open, T-5 in the Olympics in Paris and T-7 in both the British Open at Royal Troon and a DP World Tour event in St. Andrews. How is Rahm feeling about his early-season form on LIV?
“Feeling good, feeling very good,” he said. “Playing at Doral last week was extremely challenging. It was definitely one of the hardest setups I've played. And besides one bad score on 17 on Sunday, which was actually one of the better swings of the week that led to a very bad number, I feel really good. I feel like I played better than obviously the score reflects, but at the end of the day, it's golf. Feeling really, really good about this year in general.”
Finding balance
Rahm, 30, is now a parent of three, adjusting to the work-life balance struggles of parents everywhere. The Spaniard said he feels more at ease coming into the week than a year ago, when he was the defending champion and his move to LIV remained fresh on everyone’s mind. Rahm had recorded five top-10s, including his win at Augusta, before his T-45 last year. This is a course that has always fit his eye.
Feeling superstitious?
Rahm is making his ninth career start at the Masters and his preparation for the season’s first major does match up in at least one way to 2023 when he won. Could it mean that Scottie Scheffler is draping a jacket back on Rahm again?
“Out of those nine, seven I came early to practice, this being the second time that I haven't come early, and the other time was '23, where I ended up winning,” Rahm said. “I feel like this year with the third child and other things in the schedule for the year, I didn't have the time to come, at least when the weather was good enough.”
Asked if it was a superstitious thing, he said, “No, God no. It just worked out that way. No, if I win this year, then I definitely won't come again early.”
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Masters predictions: 5 reasons to pick Jon Rahm at Augusta
Continue reading...
