Tranlate this title Jon Rahm praises Rory McIlroy and Scheffler in spanish

Jon Rahm has made a very good start to the PGA Championship, the second Major of the season. After a round of 69 strokes (-1), the Basque golfer is near the top of the leaderboard. Although there’s still a long way to go in the tournament, it’s always important not to fall behind on the first day, which forces you to play catch-up in a high-pressure environment.

Jon Rahm, statements

The ‘Lion of Barrika’ was satisfied with his performance after completing the first 18 holes and emphasized that Aronimink Golf Club is a much more challenging course than it might seem. The Spaniard explained: “If we look at the numbers, some fairways are wide and the greens aren’t overly firm. But many of those fairways have a slope that makes them seem very narrow. The rough doesn’t seem as long as in many other Majors, but it’s so thick that even when the position looks good, it ends up being very difficult. You have to play very well to get under 3 under par. And besides, today’s pin positions are tricky. They’re hidden; they’re not easy.”

Regarding his spectacular eagle, he confessed: “It was a phenomenal shot, a really good shot with the wedge.” ‘Rahmbo’ pointed out that he had tried a similar shot on the previous hole and it hadn’t gone well, but he decided to take the risk.

Another topic the Basque golfer addressed was the moment he apologized to a tournament volunteer who was guarding the ropes because a piece of turf that had been kicked up hit him in the face. Rahm recounted the story: “On my second shot, the ball went very long and not in a good spot. Frustrated, I tried to swing without the ball, just above the grass. I wasn’t looking, I kicked up a piece of turf, and unfortunately, it hit a volunteer. It hit him, and unfortunately, it was on his shoulder and then in the face, which hurt a lot. That’s why I was there apologizing. I have to find a way to track him down to give him a present, because it’s unforgivable and something that could have been completely avoided. Whether it was intentional or not, it just wasn’t right.”

Another question for Rahm was what place he thinks he occupies in history and whether it’s something he thinks about, given that McIlroy often dwells on this topic and Scheffler never does. The question caught Jon off guard, but it served to highlight the achievements of his two rivals. “I think I need to achieve a lot more before I even think about it. It makes sense that Rory would think about it, second on the all-time list of Majors in Europe and the first to achieve the Grand Slam. It makes sense that he would think about it. I would already consider him the best European of all time. In the big picture, he’s among the best. And I understand why he thinks about it, because if you analyze it in context, he’s not far from being, without a doubt, one of the 10 best players of all time. I’m sure many people already consider him there, and he still has many years of playing ahead of him. Considering that Jack [Nicklaus] won at 46 and Phil [Mickelson] at 50, he has at least 10 or 15 years left, with the good physical condition he’s in, to achieve a lot.”

Regarding Scheffler, he commented: «Scottie, congratulations! To achieve so much without ever changing his essence or his self-esteem is impressive. I think that also contributes greatly to his success. He’s a very down-to-earth person and, obviously, a fantastic golfer.»