Spanish sensation Jon Rahm is confident heading into The Masters, despite overwhelming evidence that rookies tend to struggle on their debut at Augusta National.
Rahm is attempting to follow in Fuzzy Zoeller’s 1979 footsteps as the first debutant to don the green jacket at August National.
‘If I didn’t think I could win it, I wouldn’t be here,’ said Rahm, who won his first tour title at the Farmers Insurance Open.
‘Truly, Torrey Pines is not one of the places rookies usually win for the first time, and I was able to do it. Obviously this is different. It’s a major and my first time in Augusta.
‘It’s very, very impressive. I’m going to tee it up believing that I can win, competing to win. I might do it; I might not, but that’s how I do it. That’s what I did at Torrey Pines and that’s what I did in my first time as a pro at Congressional and that’s how I play. When I tee it up, it’s just because I want to win and I believe that I can win.’
Rahm isn’t the only Spaniard in the field, with two-time former champion Jose Maria Olazabal, Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera Bello in the field this week. And while he hasn’t asked Olazabal for advice yet, it is something he’s looking to do ahead of the first round on Thursday.
‘I haven’t talked to him much yet, but I’m hoping to play with him on Wednesday morning.
‘Obviously there are not many players alive that know more about this place than he does. Hopefully, I can play a little bit or spend some time with him to chat, and I know he will give me some valuable info on pretty much every single hole.’
Rahm is off at 13:41 with world number two Rory McIlroy and Japan’s Hideto Tanihara.
