Jon Rahm won the LIV UK event at the JCB Golf and Country Club this weekend but he’s admitted he wishes things had gone differently.
Rahm produced a fine final round of four under par to see off Hatton by a single shot after the Englishman missed a short putt on the 18th.
For Hatton, it was excruciating to finish on a low in front of his home crowd and he admitted himself that the team element of Legion XIII winning overall didn’t mean a lot.
Of course, for Rahm, it was a first individual win of 2024 and he was visibly emotional at the end.
However, remaining gracious in defeat and looking ahead to the Olympics, Rahm admitted he’d have rather things have panned out differently for Hatton.
Jon Rahm makes admission about Tyrrell Hatton after LIV UK
Speaking after his win in quotes provided by The Athletic, Rahm admitted that in an ideal world, he’d have played Hatton in a playoff to decide the winner.
“I’ve got to give Tyrrell a lot of credit. He’s a fantastic player, and you never want to see it end like that. I almost wish we would have got it done in the playoff. It’s just emotional,” Rahm said.
“I think that walk down 18 or down the back nine would have been a little bit harder had I not gotten a win, but getting over the hump and getting it done I think is going to give me a little extra confidence if I put myself in a good position on Sunday.
“I’m really looking forward to the week. It’s going to be fantastic, and hopefully one of us can leave with the (Olympic) gold.”
Rahm has had a subdued year in the main and his performances in the majors left a lot to be desired as well.
However, the Spaniard – who had a bit of a meltdown with the UK fans on Saturday – will be hoping to use this as a springboard for more success.
As for the Legion XIII team, they sit second in the season standings now, just behind Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers.
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