Nobody expected Jon Rahm not to be among Luke Donald’s six captain’s picks when the European Ryder Cup team was finalised on Monday afternoon, but the two-time major winner and soon-to-be four-time Ryder Cup player admitted that he was surprised at how he’d felt when he received the good news from the captain.
“Is it even really a Ryder Cup if there’s not some Spanish flair in that side?” Donald said, before announcing Rahm as his third selection after Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka, and before Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Åberg and Matt Fitzpatrick finalised the 12-man team.
“It’s a different feeling,” Rahm said. “I did not think I was gonna be as emotional as I feel right now being picked, even though Luke called me and told me a few days ago. It’s gonna be special, you know, it’s gonna be special. I cannot wait to be in Bethpage; New Yorkers are going to be incredible fans. It’s going to be difficult for us, but I’m looking forward to hopefully having a better showing than the last time we did in the US.”
Donald is expecting Rahm to be one of the leaders again, just like he was in Rome two years ago and as he was at Whistling Straits when he made his second appearance.
“I think Jon really sets the standard for us, you know,” Donald explained. “He’s someone that does a lot of his actions through being meticulous with what he does, you know. He’s usually the first person up, he’s the last person out of the team room, things like that that you notice with Jon.
“It’s amazing what he understands about the history of the Ryder Cup, what it represents, and obviously he wants to follow in the footsteps of some amazing Spanish players that have led the way, you know, the Sergios, and the Jose Marias, and of course Seve who we idolise in the Ryder Cup for what he represents, and you know Jon takes that history to heart and plays like it because of that.”
While the New York fans have been one of the biggest talking points since the venue was announced as host several years ago, Rahm is not overly concerned and believes that they are something which can be leaned into, rather than rallied against.
“It’s difficult to explain,” he said. “I think the the biggest challenge for most of us, like Shane said that the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits was a little different during COVID, right? So, the environment might be the the biggest challenge, but it can be used in your advantage, and In my experience, New York fans can actually be quite fun. They’re very funny, very creative. So if you approach it with the right mindset, I think, it can be a really, really fun week.
“Stressful, yes, but I think, it could be very productive. So I’m looking forward to being with the rest of the group and, and hopefully have a great go at it like last time.”
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