“I had no idea about this until this very moment. You should ask me if I want to know those things or not,” says Jon Rahm with a laugh. The Lion of Barrika has been number one for 41 weeks, but reaching 42 will not be an easy task since in ‘The Players’, the unofficial fifth ‘major’, four golfers arrive with options to snatch the Spanish’s throne in the world ranking: Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay and Scottie Scheffler. Of course, the 27-year-old Biscayan threatens to give more than one blow at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach (Florida): “It is a challenging golf course and one that I enjoy, I have played well here in the past. Although I am the number 1 I also chase rivals every week in tournaments, so I don’t feel like they’re chasing me.
Ehe assailant quartet together with Rahm make up the youngest ‘Top 5’ in history with an average of 26 years, all under 30 years of age. The North American Morikawa knows that if he wins ‘The Players’ he will be number one on Monday… although there are 17 other different scenarios that will also give him the crown. The rest of the applicants have it somewhat more complicated. By parts and advising to take out paper and pencil to go pointing. Norwegian phenom Hovland needs to win and for Rahm not to be tied for second with a maximum of three golfers or third solo; or to be second without another player tied with him, that Cantlay or Scheffler do not win, Morikawa is worse than 4th alone and Rahm worse than 50th alone.
THE PLAYERS Championship – PreviewsJon Rahm.
Patrick Smith (AFP)
For his part, the American Cantlay needs to win and for Rahm not to finish second alone; or to be second, that Hovland or Scheffler do not win, that Morikawa is worse than fourth alone and Rahm worse than 37th alone. Lastly, the surprising Scheffler has simpler accounts. The player who did not win any of his first 70 PGA tournaments and who has two wins in the last three and can be number one less than a month after raising his first trophy must win ‘The Players, that Rahm finishes worse than 10th alone and Morikawa worse than 3rd tied with two.
Battle of numbers that will not be a matter of five since in total there will be 144 players (from 25 different countries) with the entire top 30 of the current FedEx Cup, 109 PGA Tour tournament winners and 48 of the 50 best players in the world: only Bryson de Chambeau (12th) will be missing not recovered from his left wrist injury and Phil Mickelson (45º). Another who is not yet ready is Tiger Woods whose presence is expected in a PGA Tour tournament throughout 2022.
ENVIRONMENTAL HARDNESS AND THE DANGEROUS HOLE 17.
Tough competition for a record prize of 3.25 million euros for a winner that he will have to face the adversaries, the beautiful course designed by Pete Dye and some frightening weather forecasts that include electrical storms, rain, winds of up to 50 km/h and highly variable temperatures from 25º on Thursday to frigid 2º with sun on Sunday. All linked to the stage fright caused by the 17th hole, ‘La isla’, with its artificial lake that engulfs nearly 120,000 balls a year. The so-called most difficult par 3 in the world that veteran caddy Billy Foster explains better than anyone else: “On that tee the best players in the world tremble. It’s amazing what 10,000 people can do, booing and wanting you to send them into the water.” Show in ‘The Players’ that in 2022 (Movistar Golf, 1:00 p.m.) distributes 18 million euros in prizes. The ban on the Lion is open, but watch out for the Barrika.
