AT&T BYRON NELSON

May 12, 2021

Jon Rahm

TPC Craig Ranch

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Okay, we will go ahead and get started. Jon Rahm, thank you for joining us for a few minutes prior to the 2021 Byron Nelson. You're making your first start in the event.

If we could just get a few comments on your decision to add this to your schedule and your thoughts on the course that you've seen so far.

JON RAHM: Well, I feel like, I think it was after Augusta with my son being born and me not having really taken a break in December, I needed a week off.

So I decided not to play the week after New Orleans and take that week fully off. Didn't touch a club for about eight days.

So I needed a couple weeks of prep before the PGA, so that's why I played last week and I'm playing this week as well. Now with that said as well, I haven't played a couple events leading up to a major yet. I've always taken a week or the two weeks after before off.

So try and see if I'm one of those players that needs to play the week before.

THE MODERATOR: Just as far as your season goes, a great season, nine top 10 finishes with the exception of just the hiccup last week you haven't missed any cuts. Got to be feeling solid about your game.

JON RAHM: I'm feeling good. Yeah, last week, like you said, a hiccup, but I like to think sometimes you need to take a couple steps back to take a leap forward.

So it is what it is. Like I said, I didn't do much the week before, right, so I wasn't expecting any fireworks. Just trying to ramp up. This week should be a little bit better.

And I'm feeling good about my game. I've said it a couple times in interviews. I didn't expect to be playing this good this early on with the new equipment, but it's a testament to the TaylorMade team -- the Callaway team have been, right?

So it's been a team effort, and I'm happy I'm playing this good. Hopefully I can get the first Callaway win soon.

Q. Hey, Jon, I wish I knew how to speak Spanish to know what you just said.

JON RAHM: I can tell you if you want to know.

Q. What's the synopsis?

JON RAHM: That was about the Olympics, about how some people are not going to play. Some people want to play. I basically said the Olympic committee are not making it very easy for us to choose it, simply because up until not too long ago we couldn't go to our site or tournament hotel until Wednesday and we had to stay in the Olympic Village until then.

As I understand from what I been told there is at least one- to two-hour drive to the golf course. That's a lot of time to be in the car going to and coming back from the Olympic Village, and then you can only go to the hotel on Wednesday. Your family is not allowed. You're not allowed to go to my other events.

There are just so many restrictions. It's also between the British Open and the WGC. I can understand why a lot of people are prioritizing the FedEx Cup events and great golf events. The Olympics are relatively new for the golf, and I don't blame them. In my case I want to play. It's an absolute dream of mine to be an Olympian.

I've been able to win championships representing Spain as an amateur in almost every manage level, and to bring back the gold medal would be something amazing.

Yeah, I want to play. They're not making it very easy. I do want to play.

Q. Okay. Have you had a chance to ever play Kiawah, or is next week going to be the first chance?

JON RAHM: Never been.

Q. How do you prepare differently when you haven't ever played a major site?

JON RAHM: It's the same thing. Honestly, I'll play nine holes Tuesday and nine holes Wednesday for sure. I don't know what I'm going to do Monday. It all depends how this week goes. If I finish late here on Sunday I'll probably arrive there Monday.

It doesn't really change from what you do every other day, right? It's a golf course you got to see, and obviously as I understand, wind can change. It can be really windy one direction one day and then be another direction the next day.

So it's a golf course that has such variety you just got to see it when you get there on the tee. What I do usually is try to it get the touch around the greens and on the green. As a general norm I usually like Pete Dye golf courses, so I'm excited to see this one. I've heard great things about it. A lot times it's better to be mentally and physically rested than trying to spend a lot of time trying to analyze every part of golf course.

Q. The work do you with Dave Sims, is still you're doing that every Monday?

JON RAHM: What?

Q. A test with Dave on Mondays, for the body.

JON RAHM: What? I don't think I've ever done that.

Q. No? The 99 test, the overhead deep squats?

JON RAHM: Every Monday? What? I think you got the wrong player for that.

Q. It's something I watched a individual of him talking about you. No worries.

JON RAHM: I'm trying to understand. I mean, I don't do it.

Q. Okay.

JON RAHM: If I'm going to the gym in tournament weeks I'm focusing more on power. (Indiscernible).

Q. Is this one of those exercises that you have the most trouble doing with Dave?

JON RAHM: Dave Phillips is my swing coach. I don't do anything in the gym with him.

Are you sure it's about me or are we talking about something else? I might be missing the mark here.

No, no, just a little bit of context? What do you know or have you heard that I do so I know. I just want to know.

Q. Just a series of different things he puts your body through, the 99 test. Does that ring a bell?

JON RAHM: Probably the TPI test.

Q. Yeah.

JON RAHM: It's a simple mobility test. I don't do it with Dave. I do it with -- I do it at home almost every day to see where my body is at. To see where your hip mobility and basically body mobility is at compared to your usual. Try to keep in the same spot.

Not that I'm trying to be more flexible or anything, because a lot of times when you did that test, let's say your right shoulder is a little bit more tight or your scap than it is usually can affect your swing big time obviously if your hip mobility is limited.

So it's something I do every day to see where I am and what I need to warm more. It's usually more earlier in the week.

When I've had a week where I already played and I had any physio with me I don't need to keep doing it every time. Only if I feel something tight.

Yeah, I didn't know the name was the 99 test. You do a squat test to see where you are at, but for somebody who was born with a club foot and has extremely limited mobility in the right ankle, squatting is a challenge, a very hard challenge. The other things, like the T spine rotation that I'm really good at, and that's why I can create certain moments in my swing.

But it is something I do often. It's a mobility test and strength test. So I do focus on that. It's a warmup that I posted once in TPI posted it once that I do every single day to make sure every part of my body that needs to warm, mobile, or activates is going to be.

So it is related to that, yeah.

Q. How soon do you think you'll be able to bring the baby and the wife out on the road with you?

JON RAHM: They're here this week.

Q. This the first week?

JON RAHM: First week, yeah. He flew for the first time when he was three weeks old. We had to go to the Spanish Consulate in L.A. to get him the Spanish passport. So this wasn't his first flight.

They were going to come to Kiawah for the first time, but we both agreed that me playing this week they could also use this week as a practice round and see where and what times the baby is gonna be more comfortable on the golf course.

So, yeah, they're here this week. Plus it's easy if they break it up into two, two-hour flights instead of having to fly across the country. Might be easier for the baby, as well.

THE MODERATOR: All right, Jon, that's all we got for you. Appreciate your time. Best of luck this week. Thank you.

JON RAHM: Thank you. Sorry about that Adam. Thank you guys.