Jon Rahm is hoping to continue “riding that wave” at this week’s PGA Championship, with a victory putting him one step closer to completing the Grand Slam.
The three-time DP World Tour Championship winner claimed a first Green Jacket at last month’s Masters Tournament, emulating his countryman Seve Ballesteros on what would have been his 66th birthday.
The four-shot triumph at Augusta National was Rahm’s fourth victory of the year and second Major title, following on from his 2021 US Open triumph, with the Spaniard excited by his form ahead of his bid for further success this week at Oak Hill.
“I’m confident,” Rahm said in his pre-tournament press conference. “I feel good. I feel good. It’s been a great year. It’s been an amazing year. I’m just hoping to keep adding more to it.
“It has been a lot of fun, and hopefully I can keep riding that wave. It doesn’t happen often that a player wins more than one major in a year, so it would be amazing to be able to join my name to that list.”
Jon Rahm is riding that wave. #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/rvGyVOMkQx
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 16, 2023
Rahm, who is the pre-tournament favourite this week, knows a triumph at Oak Hill would make him just the fourth active golfer to win three of the four Major Championships, with Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson all in with a shout of completing the Grand Slam.
Despite his superb form this season, Rahm is refusing to get carried away about the possibility of becoming the first player since Tiger Woods to win all four majors.
“Obviously if I were to win this week or the Open Championship it [the Grand Slam] 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,” Rahm added.
“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.
“Obviously it would be amazing, but the more you put yourself in the position to be able to win majors, the more likely you might be to get it done. It’s a very small number of players to do it, last one being Tiger [Woods]. It’s obviously not an easy thing to accomplish.”
