CLARE BODEL: Welcome everyone to the BMW PGA Championship Media Centre. Our first guest of the week is Jon Rahm.
Your record at Wentworth is pretty good; you've never finished below fourth. Is there something in particular about this course that you like?
JON RAHM: Well, one of those finishes was next to a very, very incredible last ten holes. But yeah, I feel comfortable every time I play this course. I don't know exactly what it is but it's a golf course I enjoy. It's a week I enjoy a lot. It's a fun city to come to. It's a fun golf course to play. I think all that plays a part.
It's always the end of the year, after playing all the majors and all the tours, coming to a unique week like this one, a unique golf course like this one is always a treat. I look forward to it and when I can come, it's a fun experience and I hope I can keep the streak alive.
Q. Do you see this as a unique week, and the fact that you're also meeting up with so many teammates now again and the Ryder Cup a couple weeks away, how much is that a part of it?
JON RAHM: I think that's a large part of it, being a pick and knowing you're on the team, obviously it's something very special. I think when I say unique, I also mean special in the sense of how much history this tournament has, how many great moments there's been on this golf course.
Every time you go on the 17th fairway for the first time, it's very difficult not to remember Seve, right -- inaudible -- I remember things like that, and I remember the Match Play, and then when it became a regular stroke-play event. I have a lot of images from people in the past. I think that's what makes it special.
Q. Do you miss events like this, The Scottish Open, these sort of events, that are regular now on the DP World Tour?
JON RAHM: I miss them as much as I ever did playing on the PGA TOUR as well. Whenever it fits on the schedule, I'm going to be here.
Same with The Irish Open. If the schedule changed and had been there every year, I'd go back but I think I'm ready to make another appearance at The Irish Open because it's a country that I love and a tournament that I love and I've done really well.
I don't know what it is about this whole part of the schedule and those events, right, the Spanish event, French Open, this and Dunhill, they are just really fun. And I think because of the intensity of the season or whatever it may be, it's passed, in a weird way, it's almost fun to be able to play these enjoyable weeks. Maybe that's why I've always done well in these events in October.
Q. You won the rankings, but as far as wins, how would you rate this season?
JON RAHM: It's tricky. I played really good. I played really good golf. Finished second, I think four times. Came just shy of two playoffs, which is no guarantee I'm going to win but would like to have a better look at birdie in the playoff.
Any time you don't win, it feels disappointing but my average has been fifth. Like it's been good in majors. There's a lot of things, a lot of good things that happened this year for me to consider the year successful. I just wasn't able to come over the line some of those weeks. I think it's the nature of the game.
I certainly think I did some things right, and luckily the year is not over and hopefully I can end up with a win hopefully this week.
Q. On a completely different note, at the Ryder Cup two years ago you played with Nicolai. How would you like to play with Rasmus this time?
JON RAHM: I haven't spoken to Luke about who I may or may not play with. They are very different personalities, though. I haven't spent that much time with Nicolai before the Ryder Cup. Actually, I did, this week -- inaudible -- they are both such fantastic players. It will be great to join forces with anybody on that team. But it will be fun. Nicolai did really well. He absolutely carried me on the front nine on Friday.
Sorry, Rasmus, if you have to carry me for nine holes. But it was really fun to be with both of them. Rasmus was part of it, as well, since he was there.
Q. Just in terms of the week and how Luke has orchestrated it for you guys, what kind of things will be on the itinerary? I think there are 11 of you here this week.
JON RAHM: This week?
Q. Yeah.
JON RAHM: It's tricky because obviously I want to do well in the event and prepare, but obviously we need time to get together in the afternoon and dinner during the week; the earlier, the better. I wouldn't be surprised if like in the past, Ryder Cup teammates played together this week and spent some more time together on the golf course, as well.
But I wouldn't say too much, right.
Q. There's no formal team setup?
JON RAHM: No, there's a dinner tonight. But we still have an event to play for. So you don't want to add too much into the schedule in the week, and then once Thursday and Friday come and the tee times on the week, it's difficult.
Q. You talk about Seve when it comes to the Ryder Cup which is understandable. Can you talk about José Maria Olazábal and what he brings in that team room?
JON RAHM: We're so lucky to have José be a part of it because the legend of Seve comes so alive when he's there to tell you the stories and tell you what happened, right. If anybody else is trying to explain what he was and what happened in some of those team rooms, I almost feel like he comes short. And I get a little extra lucky because even though his English is very good, he can put a lot more meaning into it in Spanish.
And I hear the stories, and I can say in Spanish a little bit extra feeling to it which is even better. Maybe it's because you say it in Spanish, but -- it's just a little bit higher and brings it even more alive which is incredible. I've heard many of the stories with different people and every time I hear it, it's like for the first time. The goosebumps come and it's very funny stories and he's an integral part of our time.
Q. You said before with Bob MacIntyre, you said sometimes you struggle to understand what he says. Can you tell us how much you feel he's come on as a player since Rome?
JON RAHM: He was a fantastic player before Rome but he's been able to win a number of times on both tours in the last two years, right. He's obviously a much more accomplished player. He's a very high-level player.
I still have a hard time keeping up in a conversation with him. I try. I try very hard. There's a few people, especially a few caddies in the locker room that I still -- like Thomas's caddie, Iain, I think I get 45 percent of what he says. He needs to repeat a few things. Even Billy Foster sometimes, it requires a hundred percent of my attention to be able to get what he's saying and I still have difficulty. Sometimes it's the Spanish. Sometimes it's the American English. Bob, I'll make for of an effort. I'll make a better effort this time around.
Q. Can you give us an update, if there is one, into a date of your appeal for your fines with the DP World Tour?
JON RAHM: You know as much as I do.
Q. Sometime after the Ryder Cup?
JON RAHM: I have no idea. I have no clue. To be fair, I completely forgot about, which is a good thing. I hope I forget about it until it happens.
Q. Whatever happens, are you quite confident you can make it work and that you'll always be eligible for the Ryder Cup Team?
JON RAHM: I hope so. That's my goal. I want to be part of that team.
Q. Sergio Garcia, do you think he had a realistic chance of being picked for this team?
JON RAHM: My heart is always going to say yes, right. He's a good friend of mine, he's a Spanish player, and the moments we shared in whistling and Paris, personally I'm always going to want him around. He did play good early on in the year, very, very good. He was playing incredible golf, maybe in some parts of the world that you weren't watching. It seemed like from April on, he didn't keep that level. So I don't think he helped himself.
I understand that while we are not earning points or the rankings, we need to make a really strong case to be picked. Had he kept that level he might have been on the team but he didn't play as good as he could have. Subjectively, I'm always going to root for him.
Q. We tend to think of the Ryder Cup as just the week of the event and three intense days, but for you and the players, there's obviously a huge amount of administration and self-organisation you have to do in the build up, which you're in now. Are you on top of things, and are you inundated? I'm assuming you're inundated with requests. How do you deal with that in the buildup to the Ryder Cup?
JON RAHM: My friends don't request me too much. My manager back there, is the one who takes those requests. My friends, when it comes to maybe a week like this one or regular events like this, they can ask me.
But on a week like the Ryder Cup, I'm inaccessible. It's a bigger deal. Love them to death but you will not see me all week, and I don't need their -- as small as it may be, any of their ticketing or traveling stress in my mind, right. It's a big enough deal as it is. It's not something I need in my mind. It's a little extra. They don't bother me.
Q. Do you feel you're on top of everything, two weeks away?
JON RAHM: Well, two weeks can be a long time. Like I said earlier, we still have a tournament to get ready for this week which in essence helps you get ready in practise.
Next week maybe a little bit more difficult since it will be a week off and your mind can wander. At this stage of the season, do proper practising so you're ready for the whole week.
I think what you say comes more into play next week than this week but yeah, I'm on top of things. At least I'd like to think I'm on top of things.
CLARE BODEL: Thank you very much for your time, Jon. Good luck this week.
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