CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jon Rahm needed this PGA Championship as badly as any match he’d ever performed.
He spoke on Saturday about how “hungry’’ he was to “shut out the Spanish Grand Slam,’’ saying, “We’re simply lacking the PGA.’’
“I’d be the primary since Seve [Ballesteros] to win three majors, and I’d be the primary Spanish participant to get three totally different majors,’’ he went on. “It’s onerous to clarify what that might imply. It will be a dream come true.’’
However the dream died on the “Inexperienced Mile,’’ the treacherous remaining three holes at Quail Hole.
“It was actually shut,’’ Rahm mentioned. “God, it’s been some time since I had that a lot enjoyable on a golf course … for 15 holes.’’
If Rahm hadn’t needed to play the “Inexperienced Mile’’ stretch, he might need realized his dream.
However 16, 17 and 18 occurred and Rahm went 4-over on them, dashing his probabilities of overtaking winner Scottie Scheffler. Rahm, who’d tied Scheffler with a birdie on the eleventh gap, his third birdie in 4 holes, completed 4-under, seven photographs behind Scheffler.
“The final three holes … it’s a tricky capsule to swallow proper now,’’ Rahm mentioned. “A whole lot of positives to take from this week, however fairly recent wound proper now. However there’s been quite a lot of good taking place this week and quite a lot of constructive emotions to take for the remainder of the yr.’’
Rahm then quoted Charles Barkley, saying, “I play golf for a dwelling, which is unbelievable. Am I embarrassed a bit bit over how I completed immediately? Sure. However I simply have to recover from myself. It’s not the tip of the world.’’
Rahm mentioned he knew precisely what place he was in, taking part in two holes forward of Scheffler.
“ what place you’re in as a result of even in case you don’t wish to have a look at leaderboards, the group lets you understand,’’ Rahm mentioned. “Like on 12 inexperienced after I hit my putt, on the similar time I heard a cheer from 10. I used to be absolutely conscious that was a Scottie birdie.’’
Rahm mentioned “if there [was] ever a time the place it felt prefer it was slipping away’’ it was failing to birdie 14, the brief par-4, and 15, a gettable par-5.
“That was positively the error earlier than, clearly, ending poorly,’’ he mentioned.
Requested if nerves got here into play as soon as he’d climbed into rivalry, the all the time clear Rahm mentioned, “If there’s ever any person that’s sitting proper right here that tells you nerves weren’t part of it, they’re clearly mendacity. Yeah, I feel it was a little bit of nerves.
“That is the primary time I’ve been in place to win a significant that shut and haven’t finished it,’’ Rahm continued. “I feel [it’s] the one time I’ve been within the lead in a significant on a Sunday [and not won].
“I’ve been capable of shut it out, and this can be a very totally different state of affairs.’’
A painful one.
