THE 152ND OPEN

July 18, 2024

Jon Rahm

Mixed Zone

Q. How would you sum up the round?

JON RAHM: I really wanted that last putt. It's not easy. It's very difficult out there. Eight out of those first nine holes, all of them are in off the right, playing long, difficult holes. Just when you think it might get a little easier downwind, it really isn't. The back nine has a lot of teeth, and those par-3s are very, very difficult.

There's not an easy golf course out there. I think I played okay. What I was able to do was make a lot of good par putts that kept the round going, but I didn't put myself in position enough to maybe make a couple of birdies and shoot somewhere even-par or even 1-under, which would have been a fantastic round.

Q. What's it like to play with a Scot and an Englishman?

JON RAHM: You want to learn, but I think we were all suffering equally. Tommy didn't have his best day, and Bob, Bob played good. Bob could have easily shot two or three lower because he had a couple of lip outs.

You could just tell in Bob's case how comfortable he is, just in general. He told me he grew up not that far away from here, only 40 miles. Probably one more day for him, just another day of golf.

Yeah, I think in championship rounds it's equally difficult for everybody.

Q. Is it just a matter of keeping your head down and figuring out a way to survive, grinding?

JON RAHM: Yeah, a little bit. You have to take your chances. It's almost what I said, I just -- when it's into the wind, you're really cautious, and you have to be understanding of how difficult it is.

8 is clearly the easiest hole on that front nine, just easy wedge shot, no hurt. And just when you think things are going to get a little bit easier, that back nine is brutal. Those downwind holes, 14 and 17 is very difficult today to close, and it's just difficult in general.

A little bit, yeah, you have to -- you might get unlucky a few times, take your medicine and go on, and hope to grind out a decent score.

I'm sure, if you see a lot of rounds, the difference between some of those a couple over and some of those a couple under, it could be one hole here and there, one bounce here and there, and just one mistake in general that can make a two-shot difference.

Q. Were you surprised by anything you saw today conditions-wise?

JON RAHM: Bob and I talked about it because we'd heard it rained leading up to the event. Just surprised how firm it's been playing. It doesn't look that bouncy, but it is. Right, it is.

If you guys watch a few holes -- I recommend whoever's watching to watch 14 and 17 because you're going to see some crazy holes and crazy bounces. Bob's drive on 18, that must have been at least close to 400 yards.

You can use the ground, if you're lucky enough to have ground to use, but you can also wind up in some really difficult spots. It's picking your battles and hoping you can -- you hit the right shots, and then you have a few birdies out there.

Q. Why crazy? 14 and 17 are crazy.

JON RAHM: Well, 14 is 210 yards, back left pin, severely downwind off the left. Short of that pin, it's all downhill.

We all agree, we had consensus in the group, that the only way to hit it close is hitting the pin. Obviously you can hit it close, but it's very difficult.

Then 17, it's 240 yards, the same, downwind off the left, and the green slopes off everywhere. So it's very difficult to put that ball on the green. If you're off the green, it's not an easy up-and-down in any way.

And just how bouncy it is. Both me and Tommy landed it front edge of the green and both on the back edge.

It's not something we're used to seeing in general. It's more that it doesn't look as firm as really is playing. That's why I'm not surprised there's not many low scores out there. It's a battle.

Q. Aside from the conditions, are you comfortable with where your game is this week?

JON RAHM: Yeah. I didn't hit it my best today, but it's very easy to get a little bit tentative out there trying to guide it a little bit. But I'm comfortable, yeah.