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Rahm appreciates the FedEx Cup but acknowledged that major championships are the biggest pull for professional golfers.
ATLANTA — Jon Rahm has been on top of the sport before.
The Spaniard has won four times this season and 11 times overall on the PGA Tour. However, he has not yet won the Tour Championship or FedEx Cup.
He knows the importance of the Tour Championship, but there is one thing that professional golfers want more than anything.
“Majors are the most important thing in golf,” Rahm said.
“That’s how it’s been, and that’s kind of how it is. There’s a difference to being the FedExCup champion; just because you enter the playoffs in a certain position, you earned your spot to this week, and then just be able to finish it off. It feels like it’s more than just one week. It’s a culmination of a whole year than in these last three weeks. So it has a little bit of a different special feel to it.”
Since he has not won this event, Rahm does not quite understand how it feels.
He sure understands the feeling of winning major championships, as he won his first major title at the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. That accomplishment will always hold a special plate in his family’s heart.
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Jon Rahm celebrates after draining the winning putt at the 2021 U.S. Open.
Yet, the former Arizona State golfer noted that something meaningful can change.
“A lot of times, I don’t realize the magnitude of certain things in my mind until it’s happened,” Rahm said.
“I would have told you that the U.S. Open would have been my most meaningful win until the Masters happened. Even though it was my first major, that Masters win felt very different for some reason. I can’t explain why, but it was very special and above what the U.S. Open was.”
Winning The Masters does hold a different weight because of its illustrious history. There is something special about being draped with the green jacket by the former champion and conquering Augusta National.
Nevertheless, Rahm has not conquered East Lake Golf Club quite yet, but he knows the Tour Championship is not on par as a major.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.