Jon Rahm: "It would be an honor to surpass"

• golf

Jon Rahm, triple champion of the Acciona Spanish Open, declared this Tuesday that playing in Madrid, with a crowd that wants you to win, means "added pressure", and regarding the Ryder Cup, which he recently won with the European team, he said that He will play it whenever he can and that he does not need to be paid, but rather he would "pay to be part of it." The 'León de Barrika' was proclaimed champion of the Spanish Open in 2018, 2019 and 2022.

After equaling Severiano Ballesteros with three victories, becoming the two golfers who have accumulated the most trophies in the modern history of the championship, Rahm will look to This edition will get closer to Ángel de la Torre, who, with five titles (between 1916 and 1925), holds the record for most victories in the tournament.

Jon Rahm, statements

"It would be an honor to surpass Seve. Every time you add your name to his it is special and even more so to be able to surpass him. I don't want to think about it for a long time because of the importance.

If I win the fourth title we will talk because he is still the benchmark," said Rahm , during the tournament presentation press conference. Jon Rahm will be the focus of all eyes at the Spanish Open and, as in previous editions, everything indicates that his steps through the Villa de Madrid Country Club will be followed by hundreds of fans.

"When an audience wants you to win, you feel the pressure. The adrenaline of golf has to be managed to play it better. It is an honor that they come to see me and being a reference is an honor. I hope I can entertain them as before," said Rahm, who gave his opinion on the possibilities of growth of the Spanish tournament to attract more international figures.

"We don't know what will happen to the tournament. It depends on the decisions made by the world golf authorities and depending on that there will be different options. The tournament has been growing but you have to have a little ambition to bring the best and compete with tournaments that have raised their level in the United States like the one in Los Angeles," he stressed.

"Something has to be done so that players who may not have this tournament in mind want to come. You have to have the ambition for this tournament to be as big and little by little reach the level of others," he commented.

"Once the changes are made I can try to convince them. Madrid has a lot to offer, the city itself is a great attraction, but I understand why it is not on their radar. The money has to go up and also put it on a certain date in the calendar so that those of us who live in the United States are in Europe.

I will try to do what I can behind closed doors to convince them," he noted. The Spanish golfer, who played a leading role in the recent Ryder Cup won by the European team in Rome (Italy), fantasized about the possibility that the competition could one day be held in Spain.

"I hope we see a Ryder in Spain. It is still not known where it will be in 2031. I can't imagine the Spanish public there. It would be an honor but if I am lucky enough to be part of a Ryder in Spain I hope Sergio García can be involved.

"He is the best Ryder player in Spain and golf owes it to him. Whether he is captain or vice-captain, it would be an honor for Sergio and I to be part of it together," he confessed. "For me, the Ryder is something special. I will play it no matter what, if they choose me or if I qualify.

They don't have to pay me, it's a great week, they treat us wonderfully and I would pay to be part of it. I would I would do it just because," he said. "The Ryder is a very different week from the rest. You are part of a team and the attention changes because you want the rookies to be as good as possible, there are conversations, we ask Chema Olazabal for stories to brighten our day and share the field and sessions with colleagues is different," he noted.

"Even so, the wear and tear is great as it happened last Sunday, when I suffered for three hours. When I don't have control of what is going to happen, I have the same bad time and then I realized that I am not prepared to be captain." said Rahm, for whom Chema Olazabal "would always have to be involved in something" at Ryder.

"We would always have to have him involved through the emotion that he learned from Seve. Maybe not be captain because he is tough, but vice-captain. I will continue calling him until he tells me that he can't take it anymore," he said.

Jon Rahm has been in Madrid for a few days, during which he has tested the driving range and then the second nine holes of the Country Club's black course. "On a Monday a field is not close to what it will be on Thursday.

It may be softer, slower, but it was in good condition. Just like every time I have come I have no complaints regarding the maintenance," said Rahm, who arrives to the event after winning the Ryder Cup and the Augusta Masters. "It's been an incredible year. It's hard to explain what