“It's coming home” – Jon Rahm says he made a ‘joke’ to wife Kelley come to reality
Following his first win in 15 months, Jon Rahm revealed that he had joked with his wife, Kelley, about bringing the trophy home. He added that he was glad to finally be going home with a trophy after a long time.
On Sunday, July 28, Jon Rahm finished at 13-under in LIV Golf UK to beat Joaquin Niemann and Cameron Smith by one stroke. He fired a 4-under 67 with the help of five birdies and a bogey. This was his maiden win on the Saudi-backed circuit and his first since the Masters in April 2023.
During the winner's press conference, Rahm appeared relieved after ending his trophy drought.
"Now that Kelley and the kids are watching, just knowing I'm bringing a trophy home for them, it feels good to see that it's coming home," he said.
Rahm said the wait was a little longer than he would have liked, especially after being in a winning position several times in this stretch. He also revealed how he joked with his wife, Kelley, about bringing the trophy home. He added:
"Leaving right before I went to Valderrama, Kelley was telling me how Kepa said that he wanted me to bring a trophy home, and the funny thing is I played the Queenwood Cup in London with a friend of mine. It's a pro-member at Queenwood Country Club, and we won it, so I kind of made the joke to Kelley, well, at least I'm bringing some type of trophy home.
He said he was glad to play solid golf on the back nine, except for the bogey on the seventeenth, which he referred to as a 'misread.'
Speaking about his low 63 in the opening round, the former World No. 1 golfer mentioned that he did well to take the early lead by shooting low, something he hadn't done so far this season. He explained that it gave him the chance to afford a sub-par round on Saturday.
"Instead of playing catch-up for the entire Saturday I was kind of in position," he continued. "I learned from the mistakes I made yesterday; I adjusted and played a fantastic round of golf today. There's not a lot that went wrong. I made a lot of good swings out there and had a lot of fun, which is kind of how you want it."
What's next for Jon Rahm?
Jon Rahm will next compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The golf event will take place from Thursday, August 1, to Sunday, August 4, at Le Golf National. He will represent Spain alongside David Puig, who plays for Fireballs GC in LIV Golf.
Jon Rahm was set to make his Olympic debut in Tokyo but a positive COVID-19 test ahead of the tournament forced him to withdraw. However, this time he will enter as one of the favorites to win the gold medal. A win just before the Olympic week will give him an extra boost.