2022 Open Championship: Top 10 Power Rankings at St. Andrews

Jon Rahm has made a whopping 13 straight cuts and has a win at the Vidanta Mexico Open in the streak that dates back to 2021. Yet, he’s still flying under the radar.

The Spaniard’s best weeks just haven’t been what we’re used to. Especially after his breakthrough 2021 U.S. Open victory.

I still peg Rahm as one of the favorites this week at The Open Championship to get him halfway to the career Grand Slam.

“I like it. I guess a lot of the people have a problem with the blind shots,” Rahm was transcribed by ASAP Sports during the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship describing St. Andrews. “I don’t mind blind shots. I mean, it is a little bit different to get used to, right. You have these massive greens that you can be hitting putts from 40 yards, 30 yards, in grains that usually links golf courses, because of the wind, it’s a little slow. There’s a lot of hills in the fairway, it was very different.”

He’s got more links experience than most of the top guys in the field.

That comes from playing semi-regularly on the DP World Tour. Rahm won the Irish Open in 2017 and 2019. He contended at last year’s Genesis Scottish Open to finish in the top 10 and was T-55th this year featuring a 68 on Thursday at The Renaissance Club.

In the majors, the Arizona State alum has made 21 of 25 cuts with nine top-10s. He’s 3-for-3 in 2022 highlighted by T-12th at the U.S. Open where he was in contention through three rounds.

The 27-year-old is seventh on the PGA Tour in total strokes gained per round (1.651) and sixth in SG tee to green (1.466).

Rahm’s also 10th in par-4 scoring (3.98) and 17th in par-5 scoring (4.54). If his ball-striking can help him separate and the short game/bunker play isn’t overly tested, Rahm will be in contention at The Home of Golf.