Newtown Square (United States) (AFP) – Jon Rahm, twice a major winner, is prepared for a battle on Sunday at Aronimink as he tries to become the first Spaniard to capture the PGA Championship. The 2021 US Open and 2023 Masters champion, who shares second place only two strokes behind 54-hole leader Alex Smalley, says sloped greens and windy conditions have made the 7,394-yard layout a tremendous test.
“It’s a battle out there,” Rahm said. “You can get it done, but there’s a lot of holes where, if we hit it to 20 feet and then you have a tap-in for par, you’re going to be very happy because that’s just how hard it is.” Rahm, who went five-over on the last three holes at last year’s PGA to lose to Scottie Scheffler at Quail Hollow, is making decisions and changing focus with every shot at Aronimink.
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“For the most part, as the round goes on, you almost take it a shot at a time,” Rahm said. “Hit the fairway, great. Then you need to find a spot on the green to give yourself the best chance. You’re going to see very few major championship golf courses where, if you’re in the middle of the green, you’re going to have as hard a time to two-putt as you can on some of the holes out here.”
Rahm has won the past two LIV Golf season titles and has two wins and three runner-up efforts to lead LIV this season.
– ‘Better than ’23’ –
Asked if this is the best he has played since his 2023 Masters triumph, Rahm said at times he has been even better. “So far this week it has felt really good and so far this year, I would say at times perhaps better than in ’23,” Rahm said. “But the feeling of how you’re playing and actually getting it done are two different things.”
Asked how much it would mean for LIV, whose Saudi backers have pulled funding after this year, to have Rahm win the PGA, he cited his chance to give Spain a Grand Slam with a champion in every major. “Honestly, in a week like this, one, I’m thinking more about myself,” Rahm said. “What it would mean for Spain as well being the last leg of the grand slam for us as well, there’s a lot of things that would mean a lot, but too much of it is out of my control.”
© 2024 AFP
