Basque golfer Jon Rahm, one of the main attractions of the upcoming Spanish Open, which will be held from October 9 to 12 at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, stated this Tuesday that in addition to wanting to win the title again, it is his "duty" to participate in this tournament every year in order to continue supporting the sport, new generations of players, and meeting the expectations of the fans who will attend the Madrid club.
Rahm, statements
"I consider it my duty. If it weren't for Seve (Ballesteros), Chema (Olazbal), and many Spanish golfers, I wouldn't be here. I understand that my job is to come and play," Rahm emphasized at the presentation of the Spanish Open, which begins this Thursday, which took place in front of Madrid City Hall.
The Basque golfer, who has lived in the United States for several years, noted that he has many reasons to come to Spain, the first of which is to try to win his fourth title in the tournament, which is part of the DP World Tour, the European circuit.
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I want to continue making history, emphasized the Lion of Barrika, in his goal of repeating the success of the 2018, 2019, and 2022 editions of the third-oldest golf tournament in Europe, after the British and French Opens.
Aside from the sporting aspect, he emphasized his commitment to promoting golf in Spain: I'm delighted, but it's my duty to compete in front of the Spanish public () Directly or indirectly, I can contribute to creating a generation that has seen me play and wants to become professional golfers and say they're there because of me.
I can't say that to Seve, but I can to Chema and Sergio Garca. Hopefully, in ten or fifteen years, I'll be playing from the first hole with a promise that tells me they're there because they've seen me play, added the 30-year-old Basque player.
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Rahm praised the support that Madrid, "a beautiful city like few others," provides to major sporting events and the work of the organizers: "You make everything very easy for someone like me to come and play and have fun (...) Being such a unique week, you arrive with a different energy, almost rejuvenated."
However, he believed that there should be more top-level tournaments in Spain, noting that a few years ago there were eight European Tour competitions.
"And when I turned professional, there were almost none. Let there be more opportunities for golf to be played in Spain. I hope that in the future we will have support for this sport in the country," he continued.
The Basque player referred to Europe's recent victory in the Ryder Cup held in New York, which was marked by the poor behavior of some American fans toward European players.
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It was mentally the toughest week of my career, but at the same time the most fun. How we faced that week as a team, knowing what was coming. What we experienced those three days was inhospitable. From 6:00 a.m. until you left the field, it was nonstop, he recounted.
Despite the New York crowd's treatment, he played it down by pointing out that this situation also occurs in other sports: I've heard worse things at a soccer game in Spain. In a stadium with 50,000 people, you might not hear it. I wouldn't criticize the way the New York match is being judged because in other sports, you hear the same or worse.
Also speaking at the presentation was last year's Spanish Open winner, Mlaga native ngel Hidalgo, who defeated Rahm in a tiebreaker.
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It hasn't been the best year since I won in Madrid. In terms of spirits, high spirits, and play, the year hasn't been great at all; I haven't achieved decent results. But I'm delighted to be back. I don't know how being the defending champion will affect me. It would be a dream to repeat the triumph, said Hidalgo, 27.
Rahm and Hidalgo were joined at the presentation by the Deputy Mayor of Madrid, Inmaculada Sanz; the President of the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, Juan Guerrero-Burgos; and the President of the Spanish Open, Gerard Tsobanian.
