ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

October 3, 2024

Jon Rahm

Quick Quotes

Q. You've opened your account with a 7-under par round of 65. What pleased you most about your play today?

JON RAHM: I think it was a clear, clear aspect. My putting was really good today. I hit it well. Felt comfortable out there.

But the amount of putts I made from 15 to 20 feet, it's more than the average for sure today rather than -- that's what it takes on a golf course like Carnoustie to post a score. Hopefully I can keep playing like this for the next few days.

Q. Talking to Pádraig Harrington, he has a brilliant record having won an Open here, he plays conservatively from the tee and aggressively into the greens. How did you see it tactically?

JON RAHM: I lean on the knowledge ever a two-time Dunhill championship Champion, Tyrrell Hatton, and I asked him and in the words of Tyrrell, just hit driver over every bunker into the rough, and lob-wedge into the green."

I was like, okay, and that's basically what I did. Missed it in all the right spots. My first fairway on the front nine was the 17th and I was 3-under, right. It's a bit of what you can do when it's not an Open Championship setup. The rough is a little bit lower so you can be aggressive and have short irons into the greens, and that's what I did today.

On the front nine it was better off the tee. I found myself in the fairway for the most part and was able to be aggressive.

You know, I avoided disasters, two holes, on 4 and 5. Made a great par on 4, and lucky on 5 that I hit it bad enough that my ball stayed short enough of the bunker on the fairway. Made two pars but could have been a lot worse. Pivotal moment of the round there, and was able to make sure it wasn't a mistake.