Summary
Jon Rahm returns to his tournament in Spain after what he calls the toughest mental week of his career during the Ryder Cup in New York. The golfer is in Madrid looking to capture his fourth Spanish Open title, surpassing Seve Ballesteros as the tournament's most successful player since the European Tour's inception in 1972.
Two weeks ago, Rahm helped Europe win the Ryder Cup in the United States, where the boisterous home crowd kept putting pressure on the European players from the start. “That week in New York was mentally the toughest of my career, but at the same time it was the most fun I've ever had,” he said Tuesday. “What happened there during those three days was unbelievable. At times, I couldn't believe it.”
Rahm teamed with Tyrrell Hatton at Bethpage Black, becoming one of the Europeans most criticized by the New York crowd. The Spaniard mentioned that he heard everything the American fans were saying and that "with alcohol being sold (very early), things were already out of control by 9 a.m."
Key details
“You could compare it to soccer, but in that case, you have the noise of 50,000 people and you can't hear what everyone is saying,” Rahm explained. “In my case, every step I took, I could hear everything.”
The result couldn't have been better, as Europe claimed victory and retained the trophy it had won two years ago in Rome. "It's going to be hard to top that week, possibly at the 2031 Ryder Cup here in Spain, which will be more special for me than for anyone else," Rahm added.
This will be his seventh year in Madrid, where he won in 2018, 2019, and 2022. Last year, he finished runner-up to Spaniard Ángel Hidalgo in a playoff. Ballesteros won his last European Tour title at the Spanish Open in 1995.
For the first time, the tournament will offer an automatic berth to the Masters and British Open to the winner. “I'm very proud of that,” said Sergio García, another home crowd favorite. “It's a testament to the quality of the field we have this week.”
Rahm and García, who won in Spain in 2002, are among the LIV players participating in the event. Also competing are Patrick Reed, Joaquín Niemann, and Shane Lowry, who made the decisive putt for Europe in the Ryder Cup. This year marks the 50th anniversary of golfing great Arnold Palmer's victory in the tournament in 1975.
