Jon Rahm doesn't hold back as he makes thoughts perfectly clear about Irish golf

Irish Daily Mirror

18-07-2025

LIV Golf star Jon Rahm may not have had the smoothest of starts to The Open at Royal Portrush, but the Spaniard has made no secret about his love for Ireland.
Rahm finished Thursday tied for 19th alongside the likes of Rory McIlroy, who staged a strong recovery, and Shane Lowry, who also endured a tough start. Yet speaking ahead of the major, Rahm opened up on how he was left breathless by Portrush when playing there back in the 2014 Amateur Championship.
The 30-year-old is a two-time Irish Open winner too, having won the 2019 title at Lahinch and the 2017 event at Portstewart. He also finished T11 when Lowry won the 2019 Open at Portrush, and he eulogised about his time spent on the links in this part of the world.
"I don't know what it is. I think every week I've had in Ireland has been such a wonderful experience," said Rahm at LIV Golf Andalucia last week. "Whether it's the golf course, the tournament, the people, I don't know.
"I really couldn't tell you exactly what it is. But every time I've gone it's been overwhelmingly positive, so I think that's led to me playing good. Or simply the fact that the first time I ever went to Ireland, to Portstewart in Northern Ireland, I played so good that I just kind of carried on.
"But every experience I've had there has been great. The times we've gone, even if it's on time off with the family or tournaments, it's always been such a great one that whenever I go back, I think I feed off of that. When it comes to golf, I don't know if there's any secret to it, really." Rahm claimed that playing in Northern Ireland is a "wonderful experience" (Image: 2025 Getty Images)
Despite his complimentary stance on Portrush, one fan did manage to rub Rahm up the wrong way on Thursday. After lining up to tee off in front of a hearty crowd, he appeared to be whistled at while shaping up for his backswing.
After sending his drive into the long grass, the two-time major winner was then visibly frustrated as he held his arms out and faced fans to vent his anger. "Really? Whistling? Great timing. Right on my backstroke. Really clever, whoever that was," Rahm fumed.
He is now hoping to taste victory in this competition for the first time after finishing as joint runner-up in 2023 - the same year he secured his maiden title at The Masters. Rahm took issue with a section of fans on Thursday (Image: R&A via Getty Images)
While the 2021 US Open champion will be looking to make an impact at Portrush, it's etching his place in Luke Donald's Ryder Cup team that's very much in the back of his mind.
The Ryder Cup begins on September 26 and Rahm gave a slightly irritated response when asked if he had been thinking about the event going into The Open, all too aware that he will need a solid performance if he wants to ensure automatic qualification.
"I don't know how many times I can answer yes to that question," Rahm told reporters this week. "Yeah, it's been on my mind. It's been on my mind a year ago, and it will continue on my mind as long as I play golf in my career.
"So the Ryder Cup is always there. Obviously when I wake up in the morning here, I'm thinking about this, but the Ryder Cup will always be on my mind."