The stars, it would seem, are aligning for Jon Rahm as he comes in from the cold to play on home turf at the Spanish Open at Club de Campo in Madrid this week.
Just days after his wife gave birth to the couple’s first daughter, the LIV Golf-based player plays on the DP World Tour after appealing fines imposed on him, and with his eyes set on making Europe’s Ryder Cup team next year.
Rahm’s appeal against those European Tour fines has enabled him to play in Spain, which will count as the second of the four events on the tour this season he would need to play to be eligible for Luke Donald’s team in Bethpage in a year’s time. He is also entered in next week’s Dunhill Links and will likely add the Andalucía Masters next month to his schedule to make up the four.
A three-time winner of the Spanish Open, including two wins at the Madrid course, Rahm returns to competition following illness and also the birth of his daughter.
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“I’m very happy with how well everything turned out, being able to bring the little one home and for the kids to meet her. I would have been sad if I had to leave and miss that moment. We were lucky to be able to do all that and still arrive at the tournament on time. Thank God both are in very good health and I’m very grateful for how well everything went.”
On refocusing from family to golfing life, Rahm – one of a number of LIV-based players, including Tyrrell Hatton, who are playing – added: “I’ve won here twice and it’s a course that I like, I grew up playing here. Out of all the amateur golf I have played in Spain, I feel especially comfortable with this course. It’s a narrow course where, on the two occasions I have won, it has been because I drove well off the tee and putted very well. That combination wins in many places.”
Shane Lowry is the lone Irish player in the field as he edges closer to the end of a hectic playing schedule. This is his eighth event in nine weeks with another one, the Dunhill Links, to go before he takes a sustained break ahead of the end of season big-money events in the UAE in November.
Lowry – who plays the first two rounds in a three-ball with Tommy Fleetwood and Nacho Elvira – said: “I’m playing pretty solid and having some nice results. But at the end of the day, I’m out there trying to win and get myself into position to win.
“I feel like I’ve done that quite a bit this year, but I obviously haven’t knocked one off yet on my own. Helped Rory over the line at one stage. I would love to win, I’ve got four tournaments left in the season and my main goal for the next four tournaments is to try and get a win.
“Obviously, this would be a great week to start. You look at this trophy, you look at the names, to add your name to that would be pretty good.”
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