If we talk about the imperial streak that has finished raising Jon Rahm as one of the great contemporary golfers, the genesis would have to be located in Puerto Vallarta. Between palm trees and sea foam, in this seaside resort on the Pacific coast of Mexico, the great year of the Lion of Barrika began.
There the first of the seven victories that he has achieved in the last twelve months was consummated. In 24 tournaments played. Almost one win for every three. A 29% success rate, with 15 top-10s and no missed cuts. Extraterrestrial figures in this sport.
Jon Rahm, year
Not because it is recurring, the comparison with Tiger Woods is no longer appropriate. Not because Jon is close to his numbers, surely the golfer capable of equaling or surpassing them has not yet been born, but because, of mortals, he is one of the closest to the Tiger in terms of regularity.
In his prime, the Californian went up to 12 victories in one year, between October 1999 and October 2000, including several big ones. In a season, not in a calendar year, the record belongs to Byron Nelson, with 18 in 1945.
Ben Hogan reached 13 in 1946 and 10 in 1948, Sam Snead went to 11 in 1950… Those were other times, another golf. Since 1975, only Tiger (nine) and Vijay Singh (eight) have managed to fatten their record in similar parameters.
With Rahm in four halfway through the course, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to think about seeing Rahm sitting at that table come summer. At the Vidanta Resort in Puerto Vallarta, a paradoxical location because it is a design by Greg Norman, now CEO of the LIV, who this year has stopped at Mayakoba, formerly the site of a PGA tournament, the opposition will be discreet.
Of the world top-20, only Tony Finau is also among those registered. Rahmbo arrived on Tuesday and on Wednesday he played a practice round. Thursday and Friday he will share a match with the Argentine Emiliano Grillo and the Swede Alex Noren (from 3:18 p.m., Movistar Golf will connect with the tournament at 2:45 p.m.). Whatever he does in Mexico, on Monday he will reach 50 weeks as number one in the world.
