TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 26, 2022

Jon Rahm

East Lake Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. General thoughts on the round?

JON RAHM: Well, it was hot. It was a great round, I think. If it doesn't beat it, I think it beats my lowest score out here. It's a great round of golf. I've had a strong front nine in the past. I remember being 5-under through eight or nine in the past and then given up some on the back nine, and I remembered that today and I really didn't want to do it.

After starting out good, with how good I started, making all those birdies, being 5-under early, the key was 11 through 14 where I made one birdie on 12, but 11, 13, and 14, I could have easily made bogeys. I could have easily made mistakes.

I got up up-and-down and made two great two-putts from a very long distance to get the round going, and then I finished strong again.

A tale of two nines. One nine just seemed easy, effortless, and then a nine where I had to fight for every single one of the scores.

Q. Does five back feel more doable because of how well you've played to get to five back?

JON RAHM: Five? Six right now.

Q. Six. Bad math.

JON RAHM: No, you're good. I mean, it's more doable, but he's playing good golf, right, and we're going to have to keep on going and play good golf, as well.

It's going to take a really strong weekend from me and hopefully not a strong one from Scottie. That's kind of what we're looking for.

I think tomorrow could be a good day. If I can post another good round again tomorrow and he doesn't shoot a low one, we'll be in position.

Q. Did you find anything with your putting?

JON RAHM: No, nothing special. The only thing I can say is those three weeks off I had at home, because of the heat in Arizona they let the Bermuda die so the greens are a little bit slower, some of them were punched, so it took me quite a while to get used to the speed.

Memphis was very, very fast and the grain wasn't nearly as strong as it was in Arizona. It took som adjusting. Sunday I putted good and then at the BMW I putted good. I think it was mainly just getting the feel back to greens that are rolling 13, and I feel comfortable this week.

Q. Did you feel like you had a really good range session, because you seemed really dialed in early?

JON RAHM: No, it was quite the opposite. I'm not a person that's going to get in his head based on what happens on the range, the warmup. Your mindset is a little different. Each shot the thought process on top of the ball is different.

I'm never going to go with more confidence because I hit it really well on the range, and I'm never going to lose confidence no matter how I hit it.

It's funny, because some of the best rounds I've seen and I've accomplished have happened after horrible range sessions. It's not really indicative of what's going to happen.

Q. What's your purpose on the range?

JON RAHM: Warm up. That's about it.

Q. Make sure you don't break anything physically?

JON RAHM: Yeah, there's just no need. I just go through the motions, hit the clubs, try to make sure I'm hitting the shots I need and the numbers I need.

But I'm not actively searching for anything.

Q. What's an example of one of those really bad range sessions that you had a great round?

JON RAHM: Torrey in 2017. I think I shanked two 9-irons in a row and then I went to play a flawless round of golf. I can't really tell you. It's happened a couple of times. I think it was the Irish Open in Portstewart. Didn't hit it great on the range; went out and shot 7-under, played amazing golf.

Again, it's a warmup. Whether you hit it good or bad it shouldn't change how you're going to be thinking about it on the tee.

Q. The 20 elite events next year, the elevated events, the new schedule --

JON RAHM: Majors and PLAYERS and playoffs don't really count, do they?

Q. Is that asking more of the European guys considering you have to play four for the Ryder Cup?

JON RAHM: Well, we have to play all of them?

Q. Play all of the 20.

JON RAHM: If we have to play all those 20, then yeah, a hundred percent. I wouldn't be surprised if that changes, because that puts me in a difficult position having to play -- if I don't play -- if I go play in Europe in the fall like I'm going to, I have to play from January until August 20 times. I think this is my 17th from January and I don't think I could add any more.

So yeah, especially with Ryder Cup and having to play four in Europe, yeah, I think it's a bit of an ask, and I wouldn't be surprised if they revise a bit of a rule or make an exception for some players.

But if they do it for players like me and Rory, they might have to do it for everybody.

Q. Do you know something we don't?

JON RAHM: In what sense?

Q. In terms of changing that policy?

JON RAHM: Me? No. You're asking the wrong guy. If you want to know about that stuff, you know who of the two players you have to ask. (Smiling.)