HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — An exhausted, jubilant Jon Rahm wondered if he’d earned a break.
The Masters’ champion, worn out from his four-shot victory last week, thought hard about passing up the RBC Heritage and taking some well-deserved rest.
In the end, Rahm honored his commitment — and will try to become just the second player ever to follow a win at Augusta National with one at Harbour Town Golf Links.
“It did cross my mind, and obviously I think it would have crossed anybody’s because I was so tired,” he said Wednesday. “But that’s why I decided to come in yesterday afternoon and take it easier and just give my body a rest before I got into competition mode.”
And Rahm, No. 1 in the world and a four-time tour winner this season, assured everyone he was in it to win it, just like always.
“I still intend to hopefully do the jacket double and taking this one home,” Rahm said with a smile.
Only Bernhard Langer in 1985 has been able to win the Masters’ green jacket and RBC Heritage’s tartan jacket in back-to-back weeks.
Usually, many of the game’s best take the week off to refresh and relax before the PGA Championship next month, the U.S. Open in June and the British Open in July.
Those who play talk about the seaside course’s relaxed atmosphere after the pressure cooker of Augusta.
A reigning Masters’ champion hasn’t played at Harbour Town since Jordan Spieth in 2015. A tired Spieth, who won this event for the first time last April, opened with a 74 eight years ago, shot 62 the next day to make the cut and finished tied for 11th.
Rahm’s ready to block out the cheers and accolades — the Spaniard got a congratulatory voice mail from Spain’s tennis great, Rafael Nadal — to concentrate on the challenging, tight layout.
He played here once in June 2020 when Harbour Town was the PGA Tour’s second event back after the COVID-19 stoppage.
It was warmer and less windy then, Rahm recalled, than what he’ll see this week. He’s confident his game will emerge as his routine kicks in. “If I can get through the first two days, I think on the weekend, I’ll feel back to normal,” he said.
