Two-time major winner Jon Rahm insists he is playing well enough to add to his tally even if his achievements with LIV Golf are being “diminished” by critics.
Ahead of The Open the Spaniard admits he has performed “overall poorly” in the year’s three other premier events with only May’s US PGA, where he finished joint-second, being acceptable.
Rahm’s form on the LIV Tour has seen him win twice and finish second four times and have another two top-eight finishes in nine events.
“I don’t feel like I’ve been in that much of a dip – perhaps in some major championships – and perhaps because I’ve been playing on LIV people want to diminish how I’ve been playing and what I’ve been accomplishing,” Rahm told the Press Association.
“Sometimes where we feel our game is at doesn’t always relate to results.
“I feel like it’s in a really good spot; I’ve worked on changes and improvements and sometimes when you put it in competition it takes time to feel good.
“But it was good last week (finishing 36th at the Scottish Open), it was comfortable and I made some swings which were way better than in the past.
“I think I am playing good enough to win, it is just being disciplined on the golf course and playing smart.”
Rahm’s last major victory was the 2023 Masters, starting a sequence which has seen 10 of the last 15 majors won by multiple major winners.
Of those, world number one Scottie Scheffler has won three with two apiece for a resurgent Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau and newly-crowed US Open champion Wyndham Clark.
“As people we are evolving and our competitors are getting better as well,” he added.
“Everyone elevates each other, all of us want to be the best, and to be the best you have to beat everyone else and that is why it is so difficult to stay at the top for long.
“It’s why you have to give so much credit to the people who were able to do it, people like Tiger (Woods), like Greg Norman, like Scottie and Rory, like Jack (Nicklaus).
“When you can stay ahead for that long it shows a lot more than simple capabilities and talent.
“It is always difficult to win a major, it doesn’t really matter who is out there winning a major.
“If you have to go out there against someone who has won one before and is playing really good golf it might be a bit more difficult but it’s a mountain to climb no matter what.”
:: Callaway Golf Europe welcomed Jon Rahm to the stage at the Callaway Clubhouse for “Monday Night Live” where he spoke about everything from his love of The Open to his favourite halfway hut snacks.
