Ya little more than two months have passed since Jon Rahm declared in Valderrama that of “It’s the first time in my life that I don’t want to pick up a golf club. “. Mentally, the Basque golfer was exhausted. He accumulated enormous activity even before the start of 2021. The change from Taylor Made to Callaway forced him not to take a break in the final stretch of 2020 to adapt to the new material. But, in short, your course can be graded as outstanding, as he was awarded his first ‘major’, is going to end the year like world number 1 and he was second in the Fedex Cup. Special mention, for the trigger of everything, his paternity last April.
Kepa Cahill Rahm was born before Augusta Masters, where the Basque was fifth, but in which he had no real chances of winning, as happened weeks before on The Genesis. Jon came out with a bad taste in his mouth and promised himself that in subsequent tournaments, especially the big ones, must be in the fight on sunday.
He failed to fulfill this purpose at the PGA Championship, which won his good friend Phil Mickelson. The Memorial, where he defended his title, seemed to become his catharsis. There he played the best golf of his career; everything fit. Then there was one of the images of the year, when a marshall announced to him at the end of the third round that had tested positive for covid. The Spaniard was six strokes ahead of the second.
Rahm’s tremendous desolation when they communicated his positive
At that moment, Barrika’s was third in the world and had been forced to ‘give away’ a tournament because of that positive. But fate had something extraordinary in store for Jon, less than two weeks later. The American press did not hesitate for a moment to declare that ‘Rahmbo’ was the favorite to win the US Open in his favorite field, Torrey Pines.
Jon became the first Spaniard to win the most complicated tournament of all in golf, after two memorable birdie putts on holes 17 and 18. The way the tournament was run crowned him in history and also got back the number 1, where it still remains.
Rahm’s superb putts on the 17th and 18th that gave him victory at the 2021 US Open
Later it was about to win the Scottish Open, the British Open, The Northern Trust y el Tour Championship, missing the Games due to another positive for covid. In the Ryder Cup, Rahm was the best European (3.5 points) together with Sergio García, although the Old Continent fiasco is perhaps the only thing that has left a bitter residue on his palate.
Statistics
If we talk about the statistics, Barrika’s was in the 20-21 season the best of the PGA Tour in average of shots (69,300), in percentage of birdies in a round (4.51) or from tee to green (1,767). All of this resulted in 11 top 10 in 21 tournaments played, with the victory in the US Open. He was first in the Tour Championship tied with Kevin Na, but the handicap system gave Patrick Cantlay the victory.
Challenges of 2022
The year 2022 now presents itself with new challenges, such as the defense of your number 1 already from the first tournament in January, the Sentry Tournament of Champions, where all the winners from the previous season gather. Rahm and Morikawa will fight their first battle for the throne. But if there is a quote that motivates the Basque more than anything, it is the British of St. Andrews, although he has also alluded lately to becoming the first Spanish to win a PGA Championship. Of course, donning the green jacket in a field like Augusta who is good at and adores, to return to be another goal, as well as revalidar el US Open, something that in the modern era only Koepka has achieved.
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