DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Jon Rahm has spent the last six weeks practicing to be a family man. It might have hindered his chances of ending the season as European Tour No. 1, but it bodes well for his impending marriage to longtime girlfriend Kelley Cahill.
The Spaniard plays this week’s $8 million DP World Tour Championship, Dubai as one of four players – Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Matthew Fitzpatrick are the others – who can deny Bernd Wiesberger the European No. 1 title. Considering Rahm is third in the Race to Dubai and chasing his first chance to end a season as Europe’s top player, you’d have thought he’d be going hell for leather as most 25-year-olds would.
Instead, Rahm decided to take his foot off the gas and kick back. This is his first tournament since winning the Spanish Open in October.
“Six weeks off since my last competitive round,” Rahm admitted.
“I didn’t touch a club for a month. Honestly, I needed it. After Spain, I stayed home for a week and after that I think it was three more weeks in Arizona where I truly didn’t even step on a golf course.
“Ever since I became a good amateur in Spain, it’s almost been like 10 straight years of nonstop. Never have had a break like that.”
What prompted the break? Two reasons: next year is going to be a busier season than normal with the Olympics Games in Tokyo, and he decided to get a little practice as a family man.
“It was more like a future thing. Knowing that with me getting married in Christmas, and the year we’re going to have, I needed a break at some point. I feel like that was the only time I could get a break to recharge a little bit and make sure, you know, I’m going to be fresh for next year.”
Rahm and girlfriend Kelley got engaged last year, and the Spaniard has given himself quite a few brownie points ahead of the wedding.
“I’m not going to lie. At first it was hard to step away from it a little bit. Honestly, I did nothing special. Just being a 25-year-old, enjoying time with my friends, enjoying time with Kelley. We spend so much of our life making decisions just for me and for my golf game, that it was nice just to, you know, tell her for a month straight, ‘What do you want to do?’ right, instead of what do I need to do. It was very nice to be able to do that. I wish I could do it every day of the year, but golf, it’s somewhat of a selfish sport in that sense.
“We didn’t go on any trips or do anything extravagant like that. Just actually tried to be at home for a month and enjoy time with our friends and family around there and live as normal a life as possible.”
Rahm might not begin next year as European No. 1, but he’ll start 2020 as a possible contender for husband of the year.
[lawrence-related id=778012424,778012433,778012419]