Winning one’s first major is an electric moment signifying a separation from the bulk of your peers. Winning a second major, especially a different one from the first, resonates in an unmistakable statement you have elevated yourself to an elite level only a few have achieved.
That specific attainment also puts in place the opportunity, and possibly even burden, of adding one’s name to future major championship trophies.
The evolution of Jon Rahm is a striking story. As a young lad Rahm grew up not far from fellow Spanish countrymen and golfing superstars Seve Ballesteros and José María Olazábal. When Rahm developed into a player, he took his talents to the States and produced a most successful collegiate career at Arizona State. For a record 60 weeks he was ranked the world’s top amateur player.
When Rahm came onto the PGA TOUR in 2017, he possessed plenty of talent. But there have been countless others who have entered the picture in a similar fashion and fallen far short of projections for them to achieve. In short order Jon would show early results winning the Farmers Insurance event with a sensational 60-foot eagle putt on the final hole.
During his early years on tour Rahm could be explosive in more ways than with his clubs. Temper tantrums and club tossing could happen at crucial moments causing him to get sidetracked.
Harnessing his emotions and using them to his advantage would be key to his overall development as a player. Branded a “bull” it was necessary for Rahm to evolve into the more notable and effective “matador.”
Rahm was in awe of what Ballesteros had achieved. Seve’s career was equivalent to what Arnold Palmer had done for golf in the United States and then internationally. Ballesteros galvanized not only golf in Spain but throughout the European continent.
His shotmaking expertise had no peer and his competitiveness in overcoming the long-time dominance of USA golf was always front and center. This was particularly manifested in the dominance Europe displayed in the Ryder Cup matches during the latter half of the 1980s and extending into the 1990s.
Following in the footsteps of a legendary player can prove a monumental task. Seeking to make one’s own mark and handle the likely comparisons inevitably made can be both draining and irksome.
For many years certain players were touted “the next Nicklaus.” The weight of that burden overwhelmed them all with the clear exception of Tiger Woods. Those expectations happened elsewhere. For South Africans the high bar set by Gary Player has equally proven to be a climb that even an accomplished player like Ernie Els was unable to surpass even though his career was exemplary.
That situation will happen again when the next standout German player is compared to Bernhard Langer or the next talented Aussie golfer is held against the likes of Peter Thompson and Greg Norman. The weight of expectations in major events now squarely rests on the shoulders of Rory McIlroy whose last major win came in 2014 and most recently included a missed cut at The Masters, the lone major he has not won.
Related: Jon Rahm targets ‘absolutely amazing’ career grand slam after winning Masters
Even the great run of Ballesteros in the major events came to an abrupt end after winning in glorious fashion his third Open Championship and fifth overall major at Royal Lytham & St. Anne’s in 1988. Hard to imagine, at just 31 years of age the spigot of major championship success was shut off permanently.
Rahm’s comments following The Masters win was telling. As he did after winning the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, he eloquently mentioned the impact Ballesteros had on his development as a player.
The Rahm who ventured onto the PGA TOUR with talent and temper has now matured noticeably. The 28-year-old is now married with two children and his life now seems more purposeful and centered.
His desire to harness himself each time he plays competitively is there for all to see. After winning at Augusta Rahm could have skipped the RBC event in South Carolina but opted to play.
After starting the tournament with a lackluster score of 72 it might have been easier to simply play indifferently for the second round and even possibly miss the cut. Not Rahm. He put matters into gear with a 64 and finished the event tied for 15th. Rahm also backed away from doing the usual New York whirlwind media blitz most Masters winners opt to do.
No better word defines Rahm than focused. He joins Ballesteros as the only two Spanish golfers to have won two different majors and he is the first from his country to have ever secured the U.S. Open title.
Should he win either the PGA Championship or The Open Championship before he reaches the age of 30, he will join a most special elite club of just six players (Walter Hagen, Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth and McIlroy) to have done so.
Managing a career in concert with a growing family is a delicate matter. Some have fared well while others have been torn in attempting to properly balance their time.
Rahm will never be confused with the stylish elegant pageantry that Ballesteros so magically provided. Yet, make no mistake about this, Rahm has shown a true capacity to fit his game into whatever the situation requires.
Winning majors defines lasting legacies. Rahm does not display arrogance but a self-assured moxie. He realizes his best golf years are now in front of him and his embrace of Olazábal upon leaving the 18th green at Augusta was telling for its genuineness in celebrating Spanish golf with a true passing of the torch.
Two-time Masters winner and fellow Spaniard José María Olazábal is there to congratulate Jon Rahm as he exits the 18th green.#TheMasterspic.twitter.com/Tsqwhi2qQr
— Golf Central (@GolfCentral) April 9, 2023
Futures in golf are anything but certain. Past performances can mean a good deal but they do not guarantee results. The momentum of today can change tomorrow with the simple swinging of one golf shot
The competitive nature of those engaged today provides for an evolving and shifting landscape.
The tussle he is engaged in against the likes of McIlroy and most notably Scottie Scheffler is one that appears to be an ongoing back and forth affair. Others may join in as Brooks Koepka did at The Masters.
Rahm is acutely aware his ascension up the ladder of greatness will be measured on his overall major total. Ballesteros showed him the pathway. The journey is now his to take.
How bright does that fire burn? That’s hard to say with total certainty. Rahm’s rendezvous with stardom is growing and will reconvene when the PGA Championship takes place in less than a month’s time at Oak Hill.
The spirit of Seve fuels Rahm’s rise. As has been said many times climbing to the top of the mountain is one thing, staying there quite another.
No matter.
Rahm is ready.
