Jon Rahm, No Longer A Rookie, Looks to Add to Win Total

Jon Rahm has established himself as one of the world’s best golfers in just two short years. Can he take the next step in 2018?

Jon Rahm had two very good weeks in 2016, good enough to provide him with enough money to guarantee him a PGA Tour card for 2017. He was able to capitalize on it, too.  In his sixth tournament as a card-holder, he won the Farmer’s Insurance Open, giving him a two-year exemption and job security, at least for a while.

In his rookie season, in addition to his first PGA Tour victory, he had 11 top-tens, two seconds and two thirds.  He played well enough to get into the year-long playoffs and went all the way to the Tour Championship. He also won two tournaments in Europe and finished 2017 with a world ranking of No. 4.   It was exceptional for a first-year effort.

Rahm came to the U.S. to play golf for Arizona State, coached at the time by Tim Mickelson, Phil Mickelson’s brother.  While there, he won 11 times, second in school history to Phil Mickelson, who won 16 times. Rahm’s play in college garnered back-to-back Ben Hogan Awards, and he remains the only player to have won it twice – ever. Now he’s starting his sophomore year on the PGA Tour at the CareerBuilder Challenge.

"“When I came here last year, this, I think, was my fourth event as a PGA Tour member,” he said in his pre-tournament press conference. “Everything was still kind of new to me.  I did feel like a rookie, trying to learn as it went.  Right now, after a year, and after what I’ve done, I just feel a lot more comfortable.”"

One thing he learned over the course of last season was to find a routine that worked.

"“This time last year I was still coming, practicing a lot after the round, practicing a lot before the round, putting a lot, so it’s something I don’t do any more,” he said.  “I believe the practice and working on your swing and working your technique and working on things should be done before the tournament.”"

For Rahm, comfort comes from location, location, location

Once he’s in a tournament location, he focuses mainly on learning or re-learning the golf courses.  This week he has an added advantage because he played the CareerBuilder courses in college.

“I’ve been living in this area for five years, and most of the college tournaments we played was around here, so exactly, we played here,” he explained.  Big Horn Golf Club, which is also nearby, is one of his sponsors, and so he knows many of the golf courses in the area.

While Rahm likes the desert courses, he is also fond of the rest of the courses on the PGA Tour in Southern California because they remind him of home.

"“I do love California,” he mentioned particularly. “All those golf courses play very similar to what I do back home, which is soft, humid, sea level, cold type of weather.  So that’s why I love Pebble, I do love Torrey, and I’m sure I will love Riviera as well.  It’s just a stretch of golf tournaments that’s good for me.”"

So far, he has not opted to play in Dubai during this time of year, because he likes the California swing so much.  He said it was “way too much fun to give up.”

While Rahm was elated with his early season play last year, he was disappointed with his performances in the majors.

"“I don’t know why last year things didn’t happen in the major championships,” he admitted. “Maybe it was the few weeks a year that I played bad, but hopefully I’ll play good on those weeks, and maybe see if I can get in contention in one of them.”"

Regardless, he hopes for an even better year in 2018.

"“I’m feeling good.  Really, really feeling good,” he said. “I feel like those five weeks off after Dubai ( Race to Dubai), not doing much, was really good for my body.  Trying to take things real easy, obviously, make sure I’m rested for the year.”"

Jon Rahm’s connections to the Mickelson family are unavoidable

He also hopes not to get paired with the Mickelsons for reasons that are beyond funny.

Tim Mickelson was his college coach, and as many times as he’s played rounds with Phil Mickelson, he said it is slightly unnerving to hear them talk to each other before each shot during practice or play.  Rahm explained that he doesn’t, need much direction or conversation before hitting shots.  He’s more of a see ball, hit ball kind of guy.  The Mickelsons, not so much.

"“You have Phil, it’s like, ‘Oh, this shot, the moisture, this going on, this is like one mile an hour wind sideways, it’s going to affect it one yard.  This green is soft, this trajectory,’” Rahm explained. “I’m like, God, if I do that thought process, I could not hit the golf shot.  And it’s funny, he gets to the green, and then it’s the same thing.”"

According to Rahm, Mickelson discusses more information than he, Rahm, would ever want or need.

"“He reads the green, like, ‘Oh, it’s 1.8 degrees of slope here,’” Rahm said. “And I’m there listening and I’m like, man, I hope we’re never paired together for anything because I can’t think like this.  I would not be able to play golf like that.”"

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However, you can’t argue with success.  Mickelson has 48 professional victories, 42 on the PGA Tour.  Rahm has three victories, one on the PGA Tour.  There must be some value to the discussions Mickelson has with caddies.