“It’s a great reminder”: Jon Rahm not taking anything for granted despite being number 1 golfer on Tour
Jon Rahm could not successfully defend his title at the Mexico Open, but he was satisfied with his performance and with the atmosphere he experienced at the Vidanta Vallarta course.
The Spaniard finished second, three strokes behind winner Tony Finau, after signing a card of 67 strokes (-4) in the last round.
Jon Rahm remains number one in both the FedExCup and the world rankings. Despite not lifting the trophy at the Vidanta Vallarta course, he remained humbled when talking to the press, showing he doesn’t take anything for granted and he knows he can´t stop showing his best level.
Respect between the best 🤝
@JonRahmPGA was all smiles as he congratulated his good friend @TonyFinauGolf. twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/kYjduvHwB5
In a press conference after the tournament, Jon Rahm praised the level of his rivals and acknowledged that he could not take advantage of some of the opportunities he had to get closer to the lead.
He also said he needed another low score, as he had on Saturday, to have a chance at victory, but was unable to string together a run of birdies like the previous day. Rahm said:
"It was a day where I didn't do much wrong, but I didn't do much right either. I didn’t feel like I was putting perfect swings out there, but they also weren’t terrible. I just found myself in a large part of the day between 20 and 45 feet for birdie, never really having a real look.”
“And then when it was time to put some pressure on, you know, I didn’t play 12 and 14 properly, made some birdies in between. But still, again, even at 16 and 17, those are two shots that if you tell me mid-ball flight, I would have told you they were on the green and they were going to be good shots and they just weren’t.”
He continued:
“That’s pretty much the same story the first two days. If it wasn’t for that fantastic round yesterday ( -10, record for the course, on Saturday), I really wouldn’t have had a chance to compete for the tournament.”
“It is what it is. Still, I'm proud to come back after the year it's been and put on a good show and have a good title defense.”
Jon Rahm quotes Arnold Palmer to show his winner mentality
As for failing to defend the title despite the record-season he is having, Jon Rahm said:
“It’s a great reminder that what you’ve done means absolutely nothing; you still have to go out there and do it.”
“It’s also good so you don’t think too much of yourself. Obviously, I wanted to win, but it’s a reminder that everybody out here is a great player and Tony (Finau) came out with a two-shot lead and played fantastic golf.”
Rahm further said:
“I feel like had I been able to pressure him a little more, we would have seen more birdies from Tony. Like I said, a great reminder of what I still need to do to be able to keep winning tournaments. If you ask me, that’s almost a blessing in life, to know that the work is not really done. It’s never done; the search is ever ongoing.”
“I believe Arnie (golf legend Arnold Palmer) said: 'The path to success is always under construction,' and that couldn’t be any truer.”
Jon Rahm's earnings in 2022-23:
$462,000 (@CJCUPSC)
$2,700,000 (@Sentry_TOC)
$1,440,000 (@TheAmExGolf)
$282,750 (@FarmersInsOpen)
$1,380,000 (@WMPhoenixOpen)
$3,600,000 (@TheGenesisInv)
$70,029 (@APInv)
$3,240,000 (@TheMasters)
$335,000 (@RBC_Heritage)
$839,300 (@MexicoOpenGolf)
Jon Rahm also thanked the support of the Mexican crowd, who cheered him on throughout the tournament and made him feel at home. The Basque golfer said:
"It has been incredible to play here, the people have been very respectful and affectionate with me. I feel very comfortable and very loved."
Jon Rahm closed his participation in the Mexico Open with a balance of 24 birdies, one eagle, five bogeys and one double bogey, for a total of 263 strokes (-21).
He remains the world rankings number one and beat the PGA Tour earnings record for a single season.