LEARNING CURVE

JON RAHM REFINES THE ROUGH EDGES & LOOKS TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP: WINNING A MAJOR

- BRIAN WACKER

At just 25 years old, Jon Rahm is on a steady progression. He was the No. 1 amateur in the world in 2015, and after turning professional the next year, it took him only 61 weeks to crack the top five in the World Golf Ranking. (Only Tiger Woods, who did it in 33 weeks, accomplished the feat faster.) And it took Rahm less than two years to reach No. 2 in the world. He has won 10 times around the world, including three times on the PGA Tour and another six on the European Tour, amassing more than $25 million in career earnings. With three finishes among the top four in his eight most recent majors, the only question seems to be when he’ll win his first.

Rahm’s rise hasn’t been without blemishes—most notably a number of tantrums, including a series of meltdowns during the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills during which, among other misdeeds, he slammed and kicked his wedge and punched a sign on a tee box. Yet, those who know Rahm best say that his personality outside the ropes is nothing like that. He is affable—competitive but easygoing—and in his first Ryder Cup in 2018 outside Paris, he proved a smooth fit with teammates in the locker room.

When he rolls into an eclectic and artsy section of Phoenix on a sun-splashed morning in his shiny Arizona State-maroon Mercedes AMG G 63—essentially a $200,000 military box on wheels—Rahm still has the look of a college kid. There’s a softness to him. He’s polite, carries his clubs, and is on time. In his eyes, there’s a glint of the intensity below the surface but also a thoughtfulness as he sits down to discuss getting married, getting control of his emotions, getting the best of Tiger Woods and more.

AS WE SPEAK YOU’RE ABOUT TO GET MARRIED [ONE CEREMONY IN SPAIN IN DECEMBER, AND ANOTHER IN SAN DIEGO IN FEBRUARY], TO KELLEY CAHILL, WHOM YOU MET WHILE YOU WERE BOTH AT ARIZONA STATE. DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST DATE?