Jon Rahm took another step towards being eligible for the Ryder Cup by taking part in the Spanish Open last week – an event the two-time major champion has won on three previous occasions.
It was a coup for the DP World Tour to have the likes of Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, David Puig and Patrick Reed in the field for the Spanish Open, particularly with many eyes likely to be on the Presidents Cup on the PGA Tour.
And fans were treated to an exciting finish. Angel Hidalgo led for the majority of the week in Madrid, but many would have feared that the Spaniard was about to be denied a maiden victory on the DP World Tour when he missed a short putt for birdie on the 72nd hole.
That meant that the 26-year-old would face a play-off with Rahm, who was looking for a fourth win in the event since 2018. However, Hidalgo would make birdie on both of the play-off holes to secure an amazing victory.
What surprised Eddie Pepperell about Jon Rahm after the Spanish Open
It was arguably a shot in the arm for the DP World Tour to have one of their players edge out a LIV Golf star, even if Rahm remains a member of both. And speaking on The Chipping Forecast, Eddie Pepperell suggested that the only shock when it comes to Rahm is when he does not come out on top in these events.
“As we’ve talked about many times, he’s one of the best players in the world, he’s a generational player. It’s not surprising given the way he has been playing also, I think since just before The Open, really his form has been very, very strong. It’s a surprise when he doesn’t win on the DP World Tour quite frankly, even if he has been unwell and flown in from Arizona, that’s how good he is,” he said.
What Spaniard has shown in recent weeks
Rahm has arguably proved a bit of a point in recent months. It did appear that his decision to join LIV Golf had not done him many favours after a couple of underwhelming performances at the major championships, as well as his final day collapse at the Olympic Games.
Rahm’s ability to adapt to playing 72 holes again was questioned. But the 29-year-old has responded to those concerns. He made a charge up the leaderboard on Sunday at The Open Championship, and he shot a 68 in the final round in the Spanish capital last week.
Of course, he is too good a player to be significantly affected by moving between 54 hole and 72 hole tournaments. But it was surprising just how poor his year in the major championships proved to be.
However, his final round at Royal Troon coupled with his performance at Spain has probably gone some way to remind everyone of just how good Rahm can be.
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