LA JOLLA, United States —
Jon Rahm knew after contracting COVID-19,
missing his parents meeting his son and losing a near-certain PGA victory two
weeks ago that he was due for something good to happen.
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It turned out to be winning his first major title, which happened Sunday at
the
US Open at Torrey Pines, one of his favorite places in the world.
"This one is very incredible, very hard to believe, that this story can
end up so good," Rahm said. "It almost feels like it's a movie that's
about to end and I'm going to wake up soon.
"With the setback I had a couple of weeks ago, to end up like this,
it's incredible. I do love Torrey Pines, and Torrey Pines loves me."
Defending champion Rahm had seized a six-stroke lead after 54 holes at the
Memorial when he was told seconds after finishing his round that he had tested
positive. He spent the next week in quarantine until two negative tests allowed
him to return to US Open preparations.
On the same course where he proposed to his wife Kelley Cahill and where he
won his first US
PGA title in 2017, Rahm sank birdie putts on 17 and 18 to
defeat South African Louis Oosthuizen by one stroke.
"It felt like such a fairy tale story that I knew it was going to have
a happy ending," Rahm said. "I could just tell. I knew there was
something special in the air. I could just feel it. I just knew it."
"That's why I
played as aggressive as I did, because it was like, man, this is my day,
everything's going to go right. I felt like that helped me. I just knew that I
could do it and believed it."
It didn't hurt he had faced similar putts before at Torrey Pines in PGA Tour
play.
"I knew I could get it done," Rahm said. "I've made a couple
of long left-to-righters in the past in some clutch moments, and I was able to
get two more on the last two holes.
"The fact I stayed patient and hopeful and believed something good was
coming my way is what helped. I never lost hope for a second."
In a strange way, getting COVID-19 helped Rahm pull off his long-sought
breakthrough major triumph.
"I believed from the biggest setbacks we can get some of the biggest
breakthroughs, and that's why I stay so positive," Rahm said.
Rahm has been trying to control his temper better on the course, but after a
club-crunching incident at last month's PGA Championship, the Spaniard has felt
calmer and in greater emotional control.
"I feel like coming in here without having practiced much relaxed me a
little bit. In case I play bad, I have an excuse. Hey, I had COVID," Rahm
said.
"I feel like it relaxed me a little bit and ever since the Sunday at
the PGA, I felt a bit of a shift on the golf course mentally. I still had that
grit, but almost like each miss bothered me less."
First Father's Day
Rahm, who said his biggest COVID-19 disappointment was not being there when
his parents saw their grandson for the first time, celebrated his first
Father's Day as a dad hoping to set an example for two-month-old son Kepa.
"I really set out myself to be an example for my son that he would be
proud of," Rahm said.
"I've done some stuff in the past on the golf course that I'm not proud
of and I wish I could eliminate it.
"But I've accepted it. I'm not saying it's going to be smooth sailing
until the end, but my mental game was really good.
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