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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 have to look laborious 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 photographs away from Koepka and Phil Mickelson.
With Patrick Reed one other shot behind in a tie for fourth it was a robust exhibiting 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 likelihood of the Spaniard being written off for being unprepared.
“I got here in right here final yr considering the identical factor about all the LIV gamers, those that doubtlessly may win, they usually proved me improper,” two-time US Open champion and ESPN analyst Curtis Unusual admitted.
“Two or three of them performed rather well. So I don’t assume that’s some extent any extra.
“I anticipate Rahm to be able to go. I believe, due to what Rahm’s been by means of somewhat bit the final yr, going over there, he may really feel that he has somewhat bit extra to show.
“However he’s extremely gifted, nice champion on the Masters. There’s no motive why he couldn’t be champion there once more this yr.”
The celebrities 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 type of par on the 18th of which Ballesteros would have been proud, though Rahm nonetheless insists his tee shot into the bushes, which meant his ball didn’t even attain the green, was not as horrible because it appeared.
“Out of all the good issues that week, lots of people bear in mind the four-putt and the tee shot on 18, which wasn’t as unhealthy as folks assume,” Rahm mentioned 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 assume, man, I missed much more photographs than I believed I did.
SEVE ON HIS MIND
“I suppose it’s a good lesson to take note of, proper? Not solely that I may play higher in idea however the truth that there’s a psychological lesson there, that you simply’re going to overlook photographs and also you simply have to determine minimise the injury.
“Going again to Sunday, it’s at all times very troublesome to place into phrases. Only a few instances do I bear 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 whole lot 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 mentioned 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 mentioned sure.
“It was probably the greatest 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 could possibly see of it within the pitch darkness. Anyone took an image of my dad and I speaking, me with the jacket on, and it’s one of many higher photos now we have.
“I believe 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 be capable to recreate that once more with any of them, however I’m actually glad that they allow us to do this they usually received to see the historical past of it.”
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