THE 150TH OPEN

July 15, 2022

Jon Rahm

Mixed Zone

Q. Jon, tell us about your first two days and how it went.

JON RAHM: There's not much of a difference tee to green between the first two days. It felt the exact same. The only difference is I made putts today. I bet if you put the amount of putts today into yesterday's round, I'd shoot pretty much the same score. I'm happy how things are going tee to green. Hopefully I can keep the putting I had on the back nine rolling for the weekend. I'm definitely in good position for it.

Q. It looks like it's been a constant theme. People don't value enough how tough it is to putt in the wind and these links and where you put the ball.

JON RAHM: Because you're putting from -- on 14 I counted 28 paces, and my paces are big. So it's about 28 metres, 31 yards for a putt that goes up the first ridge, at the end is another slope, and you're into the wind.

On 5 we had quite a bit again. On 15, I had 39 paces all up the hill into the wind. You can't practise this anywhere else in the world. You can't. They're already slower greens than we're used to, it's hard.

Some of them we're hitting it as hard as we think we can hit it and we're still quite a bit short. It's not easy. I bet the people up there, they're putting inside ten feet is really good obviously because if you don't hit it close, you're going to be somewhere around ten feet.

Still a birdie chance. If you look at some holes, you still have a birdie putt, which is not a bad thing. But when you're on the green in one or two, it's easy to think of it.

Q. With Tiger finishing up on 18, you guys being in the group behind, for his final round at St Andrews, what was that like?

JON RAHM: I hope it's not. I mean, that's a little negative, isn't it?

Q. He said so. He said it could be his last.

JON RAHM: He said it. Well, if he's saying it, then sorry about that. Then I'm glad I was there.

We were joking on the tee that, if it wasn't for us having to wait those ten minutes, we would have had a downwind shot. As we're standing on the tee with 2-iron in my mind, we feel the breeze change. I'm thinking, well, I hope I have a good driver to have a good number to the pin. So it feels a little bittersweet in that sense. Luckily I was able to make birdie.

I'm hoping this is not Tiger's last. I'm hoping somehow he can get healthier and be back.

From what I heard, it will be in 2030, which is eight years from now, which is probably a few years too long. I wouldn't be surprised if he makes the effort just to play and do a proper good-bye.

Wish him nothing but the best. Obviously he's done amazing things here and amazing things everywhere in the world.

At this point, hoping he can stay healthy and live a normal life from now on. You can tell he's in pain. I know he puts a front out there and he tries to walk normal, but you can tell in certain moments going down some of the hills. You can tell he's suffering.

So hopefully they can -- not fully fix it, I don't know if they'll be able to, but minimise it and have a normal life. As normal life as Tiger Woods can have obviously.

Q. (No microphone).

JON RAHM: My driving, I would say it's exceptional off the tee. I did a lot of good things out there today. Proximity to the hole on 9 and 12, the two shots I was going for the green, I was really, really close. Too bad the one on 12 was an incredibly difficult putt.

It was really good. I hit a lot of great tee shots that get me in a great position. If there's anything looking to the weekend, hopefully I can continue that.