DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 18, 2022

Jon Rahm

Jumeirah Golf Estates

Quick Quotes

Q. 66 sounds great on paper. How do you feel about it?

JON RAHM: It was a really good round of golf. I was really comfortable all day. Hit a lot of good shots and gave myself a lot of looks. I can't help to think on what could have been, right. Obviously I played a really good back nine.

I hit good putts on 11, 13, 14 that didn't go in; a bit of a mistake on 16 with a wedge in my hands, if that drive on 18 goes a yard left, I'm looking at going for the green. Those are the things that if they happen, you shoot an amazing round.

But it was good, that's all I can say. Did a lot of good things and just trending positively. Just hope it keeps getting better on the weekend.

Q. You're probably one of about four or five players in the world that every time we watch you, it just looks tremendous all the time. We can imagine you winning in any given week. For you, a season like you've had, a couple wins, one on either tour, all those top 10s, eleven of them on the calendar year, how do you assess how you've performed this year?

JON RAHM: Well, I got pretty tired of hearing "you're having an off-year." Maybe the standard I've set has gotten you guys used to seeing me win more often, or at least having the chance to win more often.

It wasn't a bad year, two wins and a lot of Top 10s. The one thing I think that would have made it better for myself at least would have been having a chance at majors. U.S. Open I was there, but for the other three I was nonexistent. To be there on Sunday, at least having the chance would have made it a little better.

Plus you've got to think, I'm not making an excuse here, but you've got to think, new parents, moved to a new house, got pregnant with our second, a lot of changes going on in the household and my lifestyle just trying to get used to it. Went from zero kids to two kids in 15 months. That's quite a bit of a change.

I think based on everything that even everything that's very positive in my life and everything that's been going on in the year, nothing to complain about. Obviously I would like it to be better but I think all of us would take what I did this year as a bad year.

Q. Perfect segue to ask you again, away from the golf today but hopefully it's interesting for folks at home to know you mentioned being a father you are now, how has that changed your perspective and what you do? There are so many fathers in the world but not many pinnacle athlete fathers in the world. How does it change the perspective of a sportsman what you go through that huge change?

JON RAHM: I'm still getting used to it a little bit and I think there will be a period of adapting as my sons get older and understand the situation of what's going on.

Right now, I think it's a blessing because he doesn't care at all what goes on. It doesn't matter. When he sees me, I'm dad and he just wants to play and it's very, very refreshing. At home I've come to enjoy those routines. I'm an early riser and so is he. So when I'm home, Mom gets to sleep a little bit more. If he wakes up early, I get him out of bed and we have a good solid hour and a half, two hours of father and son time that I don't usually get. When I'm done practicing in the afternoons, no matter how tired you are, when your son comes to you and looks at you like this, everything goes away.

It's helped me separate golf and personal life even more. So obviously I know what's important. It putts things in perspective but it really has separate those aspects of life, and even tournaments. Sunday at the U.S. Open, horrific finish; my son is there, instantly goes away, right.

It's helped me transition from maybe upset from a bad round to completely fine and happy very, very quickly, and it's also allowed me to assess my round a bit better. I think it's been a year where I've grown a lot and matured a lot with myself. Hopefully it's a segue for good years.