(Reuters) – Jon Rahm has never played on the Greg Norman-designed Vidanta Vallarta layout that hosts this week’s Mexico Open but the tournament favourite said on Tuesday his strategy for getting around the course was very simple.
World number two Rahm, the highest-ranked player competing this week in Vallarta, said he did not usually settle on a game plan until he got to each tee and assessed the conditions but did know he expected to start out aggressive.
“Plan A is hit driver everywhere. If it doesn’t fit, we’ll figure it out,” U.S. Open champion Rahm told reporters.
“Preparation I think a lot of times is getting the touch around the greens a little bit better, get that feel, because tee to green a lot of times it’s going to vary on how you feel, the wind, pin position and how you’re hitting it that day.”
This week will mark Rahm’s 11th start of the season and his first since finishing in a share of 27th place at the Masters three weeks’ ago.
The Spaniard has four top-10 finishes this season, including at Kapalua in January where he carded 33-under over four rounds only to finish one stroke behind Australian Cameron Smith, whose total is the lowest under par score in PGA Tour history.
While Rahm is still seeking his first victory since last June’s U.S. Open at Torrey Pines he remains confident even if his results this year have not met his expectations.
“Numbers-wise it hasn’t been my best but, you know, I’ve been practising hard, feeling confident. It’s just golf. Sometimes you’re feeling good if things happen,” said Rahm.
“Actually, golf is life; sometimes you just don’t get the results you want. I keep putting in the work so very positive about the future. I’m happy with the state my game’s at right now.”
Rahm is more than familiar with competing in Mexico given he has returned many times since he debuted on the PGA Tour in the country as an amateur in 2015 and enjoys every chance to return.
“I’ve been pretty much all around the world, been to a lot of places, and I always say the same thing, the Mexican hospitality’s hard to match and I think that’s one of the things that just keeps me coming back,” said Rahm.
The Mexico Open is one of two new tournaments added to the PGA Tour schedule this season along with the July 7-10 Scottish Open in North Berwick.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)
