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Masters champ Jon Rahm staying even-keeled at PGA Championship

Masters champ Jon Rahm staying even-keeled at PGA Championship
Cameron Smith of Australia plays an approach shot on the third hole during a practice round prior to the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club on May 16, 2023 in Rochester, New York. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Steve Keating
By Steve Keating
17 May 2023
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World No 1 Jon Rahm starts the PGA Championship as favourite and his battle with No 2 Scottie Scheffler might decide the destination of the Wanamaker Trophy.

While it used to be a more common occurrence, only two golfers have managed to win consecutive majors since 2008.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland ended the 2014 major season with victories at the Open Championship and the PGA Championship; Jordan Spieth picked up where McIlroy left off in 2015 by winning the Masters and the US Open.

Now the PGA Championship is the second major on the calendar, and Jon Rahm has arrived at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, trying to think about neither a potential career Grand Slam nor a major hangover.

“Obviously if I were to win this week or the Open Championship it really becomes a true reality, but winning two majors is not easy, and picking which ones you win is a little ludicrous to think about,” the Spaniard said.

“I think obviously winning the Grand Slam would absolutely be amazing, but I think, without sounding too conceited or arrogant, I’d rather focus on the number of majors you win than having the Grand Slam, per se.”

Jon Rahm plays his shot from the sixth tee during practice before the PGA Championship on 15 May 2023. (Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)



Rahm captured his second major title last month when he won the Masters by four strokes over Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka. He also won the 2021 US Open, as he has completed two legs of the career Grand Slam.

Rahm has performed like the best player in the world over a stretch of several months, so if he were to win the PGA this week, an ultra-rare true Grand Slam would be on the table.

Always a thoughtful character on tour, Rahm referred to a quote attributed to Arnold Palmer – “The road to success is always under construction” – and said it’s better for him not to enjoy things like the Masters for too long.

“Obviously it’s a big deal when you get to win (a major),” Rahm said. “Try to enjoy it as much as possible, I would say... I think, try to enjoy it and process it as fast as you can might be the best way.

“But at the end of the day this is our job. You’re here to perform, so trying to focus on that, as well.”

Rahm might be well-suited for the task of blocking out distractions and noise, which have manifested in many ways.

Scottie Scheffler of the US plays a shot on the 16th hole during practice before the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York, on 16 May 2023. (Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)



McIlroy, for one, long took a front-and-centre position in defending the PGA Tour and criticising the players and financiers of LIV Golf, the Saudi-funded breakaway league. This week, McIlroy told reporters he will intentionally avoid speaking about LIV while he focuses on his game and trying to end his nine-year major drought.

In all, 18 LIV Golf players are in the field for the season’s second major.

Rahm, though, has never got in the middle of the LIV-PGA feud. He gave a clear explanation of why he’d remain with the PGA Tour last year, but he’s maintained friendships and working relationships with many of the players who defected to LIV.

“I’ve never had any negative feelings towards any player that went over to LIV,” Rahm said. “In fact, I’ve mentioned many times I still play with many of them and still try to figure out – try to play practice rounds with Phil (Mickelson), played with Talor Gooch yesterday. Really doesn’t make a difference to me.”

Rahm joins 2022 US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, and Cameron Smith, who won last year’s British Open before jumping to the LIV Golf, in a marquee threesome that will be among the early starters at Oak Hill on Thursday.

Motivated Scheffler


A couple of good beatings from Rahm will provide Scottie Scheffler with some added motivation this week at a PGA Championship that could herald the start of a new major rivalry.

Golf, like every sport, is quick to latch onto any intriguing rivalry and a Rahm/Scheffler one may still be in the nascent phase but has all the necessary ingredients.

Scottie Scheffler plays a practice shot from a bunker on the 14th hole before the PGA Championship on 16 May 16 2023. (Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)



There will be 156 golfers teeing off at Oak Hill on Thursday but world No 1 Rahm and No 2 Scheffler have separated themselves from the pack.

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Rahm, a four-time winner this season including at last month’s Masters, is the hottest player on the planet, but Scheffler is not far behind, having finished 12th or better in his past 13 starts, a run that includes two wins.

“That’s a great stretch of golf,” conceded Scheffler. “When I show up to a tournament I expect to do my best and try and play well.

“Most importantly, I just try and have a good attitude and go out there and play. I try not to place too much of an emphasis on the result.”

Quality pair


The quality of their play is reflected in the world rankings.

The fiery Spaniard and the chilled American have swapped the No 1 spot almost every month this year and it will be up for grabs again in Rochester.

The tug-of-war started in July 2021 with Rahm on top before Scheffler snatched it in March 2022.

Australian Cameron Smith plays an approach shot on the third hole during practice before the PGA Championship in Rochester, New York, on 16 May 2023. (Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)



McIlroy got in the mix, taking over top spot that October before Scheffler reclaimed it on 12 February 2023.

A week later Rahm was back on top, with Scheffler again nudging him from his perch in March. The Spaniard grabbed it back in April and grimly held on.

“I wouldn’t say Jon doesn’t motivate me,” Scheffler told reporters. “I think any time you see guys playing really good golf, you want to be doing the same thing.

“Whether it’s Jason Day beating me last week down the stretch or Jon just beating the crap out of me at a couple different tournaments this year, it’s always motivating when you don’t do what you want to do, and that’s usually trying to win the tournament.”

If a rivalry is to evolve into something special it needs to be played out on that sport’s biggest stage and for golf that is the majors.

Scheffler, Masters champion in 2022, and Rahm, Green Jacket winner this April, have played some of their best golf at the majors but have not yet had that defining moment.

Since 2020 Scheffler has contested 11 majors and finished in the top 10 seven times. Over the same period Rahm has played 12 with six top 10s, including the US Open win in 2021.

“The majors always have a little bit of a different spot in our heads,” said Scheffler. “They’re the ones you always circle on your schedule and it’s a career-defining tournament and all that.” Reuters/DM

Notes:

  • Oak Hill will play host to its seventh major championship but first since the 2013 PGA Championship won by Jason Dufner;

  • The Donald Ross-designed course underwent a complete renovation by Andrew Green in 2020. It will play about 225m longer than it did 10 years ago and includes three completely new holes;

  • Only seven players in this week’s 156-player field remain from the 2003 PGA at Oak Hill won by Shaun Micheel;

  • Only once in the past decade has the Wanamaker Trophy been won by a player ranked outside of the top 50 in the world. That was in 2020 by Collin Morikawa, who enters this week ranked No 16; and

  • Jordan Spieth will make another attempt to become only the sixth player to win the career Grand Slam. However, he withdrew from last week’s Byron Nelson due to a wrist injury and missed the cut in his PGA Championship debut in 2013.

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