Jon Rahm almost won his first major championship in three years at the PGA Championship on Sunday.
The leaderboard shows Rahm in a tie for eighth place, seven shots behind Scottie Scheffler, but that does not tell the story of the final round.
The two were actually level on nine under at one point, as the Spaniard was -3 on the day, and Scheffler was two over.
Unfortunately, Rahm missed a golden opportunity to birdie the par-5 15th hole, and it all went downhill from there.
The LIV golfer was clearly dejected, making a bogey and two double bogeys in the final three holes at Quail Hollow, known as the Green Mile.
The 30-year-old said in his post-round press conference that something completely new happened to him on the final day.
Jon Rahm did something for the first time at the PGA Championship
It’s easy to forget, after Rahm’s poor major championship season in 2024, that he is typically extremely clutch in the biggest moments.
However, he explained on Sunday evening at the PGA Championship that he had never had such a good opportunity to win a major and thrown it away before.
“I think it’s the first time I’ve been in a position to win a major that close and haven’t done it,” Rahm said. “The only times I think I’ve been in the lead in a major on a Sunday, I’ve been able to close it out, and this is a very different situation.
“So I don’t know exactly. But if it’s ever a time, that’s what family’s for. Luckily, I’m going to get home maybe on time to get the kids to bed, or not, I’m not sure. To them, whatever I did today, win or lose, they don’t care. So that’s always a good perspective.”
Of course, Rahm will be disappointed not to win, but he can take so many positives from his performance until the last three holes.
Jon Rahm reveals key lesson learned from NBA legend Charles Barkley
Rahm credited NBA legend Charles Barkley with teaching him a lesson that keeps him mentally stable in tough moments.
“I always like to go back a little bit on something that Charles Barkley likes to remind basketball players all the time,” Rahm shared. “Like, I play golf for a living. It’s incredible.
“Am I a little bit embarrassed about how I finished today? Yeah. But I just need to get over it, get over myself. It’s not the end of the world. It’s not like I’m a doctor or a first responder, where if somebody has a bad day, truly bad things happen.
“I’ll get over it. I’ll move on. Again, there’s a lot more positive than negative to think about this week. I’m really happy I put myself in a position, and hopefully learn from this and give it another go in the U.S. Open.”
It’s not as often as it should be that professional athletes show such appreciation and humility for the lives they are so fortunate to live. Rahm is one of the good guys.
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