'It's a country and tournament that I love': Jon Rahm ready for another Irish Open tilt
Jon Rahm won the 2017 Irish Open at Portstewart and the 2019 tournament at Lahinch. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Two-time Irish Open winner Jon Rahm says he hopes to play the tournament again in the near future. The Spaniard won the Irish Open at Portstewart in 2017 and again at Lahinch two years later. He joined the LIV Golf tour in December 2023.
The 30-year-old, who was one of Team Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald's selections for the competition at Bethpage Black, is playing the BMW Championship at Wentworth this week.
"I miss them as much as I ever did playing on the PGA Tour as well," said Rahm when asked if he missed events like the Scottish Open.
"Whenever it fits on the schedule, I'm going to be here. Same with The Irish Open. If the schedule changed and had been there every year, I'd go back but I think I'm ready to make another appearance at The Irish Open because it's a country that I love and a tournament that I love and I've done really well.
"I don't know what it is about this whole part of the schedule and those events, right, the Spanish event, French Open, this and Dunhill, they are just really fun. And I think because of the intensity of the season or whatever it may be, it's passed, in a weird way, it's almost fun to be able to play these enjoyable weeks. Maybe that's why I've always done well in these events in October.
Rahm's compatriot, and fellow LIV Tour player, Sergio Garcia, was one of those to miss out on selection for the Ryder Cup. Rahm thought Garcia, a 10-time Ryder Cup player, did have a realistic chance of being selected but agreed his form since April may not have been of the required standard. Garcia was due to play at last week's Irish Open but opted out of the tournament due to the disappointment of not being picked by Donald.
"My heart is always going to say yes, right," said Rahm.
"He's a good friend of mine, he's a Spanish player, and the moments we shared in Whistling and Paris, personally I'm always going to want him around.
"He did play good early on in the year, very, very good. He was playing incredible golf, maybe in some parts of the world that you weren't watching. It seemed like from April on, he didn't keep that level. So I don't think he helped himself."
"I understand that while we are not earning points or the rankings, we need to make a really strong case to be picked. Had he kept that level he might have been on the team but he didn't play as good as he could have. Subjectively, I'm always going to root for him."
The world number 80 said he would not be surprised if, as has happened in the past, Ryder Cup teammates were grouped together this week at Wentworth. "It's tricky because obviously I want to do well in the event and prepare," said Rahm, "but obviously we need time to get together in the afternoon and dinner during the week; the earlier, the better."
Rahm did not pick up a win in LIV Golf this year, though he did manage to finish top of the points list. He finished 14th at the Masters, eighth at the PGA Championship, seventh at the US Open, and 34th at The Open.
"It's tricky," said Rahm.
"I played really good. I played really good golf. Finished second, I think four times. Came just shy of two playoffs, which is no guarantee I'm going to win but would like to have a better look at birdie in the playoff.
"Any time you don't win, it feels disappointing but my average has been fifth. Like it's been good in majors. There's a lot of things, a lot of good things that happened this year for me to consider the year successful. I just wasn't able to come over the line some of those weeks. I think it's the nature of the game.
"I certainly think I did some things right, and luckily the year is not over and hopefully I can end up with a win hopefully this week."
