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CHASING RORY: Jon Rahm Could Become World #1 This Week

Published

4 years ago

July 9, 2020

This week, we could have a new World #1.

If you haven’t really been keeping track, Rory McIlroy has been the top golfer in the world for several weeks now but he’s in jeopardy of losing that title to Jon Rahm this week. Rahm was on fire at the end of 2019, winning the Spanish Open in October and the World Tour Championship in November. He carried over that momentum to 2020 as well, with a few top-five finishes before the pandemic hit.

Rahm has the opportunity to overtake McIlroy this week since Rory isn’t playing anywhere while Rahm plays in the US PGA Workday Charity Open. It would seem like it would be easy for Rahm to take over in this case but he’s actually so far behind Rory that the only way he can take over is with a win. And considering that he’s missed the cut and finished outside of the top 25 in all of his events since the PGA TOUR returned, that won’t be an easy task.

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That’s not discouraging Rahm, however, as he’s ready to fight hard this week.”I fight on the golf course for every shot I hit every single day. That never give up attitude, even if I’m starting 30th in the final round and I’ve got no chance of winning, I still want to finish as high as possible,” Rahm said. “It’s important to fight for those shots. Top 10s are still top 10s. And the better you play, the more chances you are in the top 10, the more chances you will have to win.”

For Rahm, becoming world #1 would mean a lot to him and his home country of Spain. It would be Rahm’s first time gracing the top of the rankings but even more meaningful is that he would be only the second Spaniard. The only other Spaniard to hold the #1 ranking was Seve Ballesteros and that would be some legendary company for Rahm to join.

So if you needed any extra motivation to tune into the Workday Charity Open this week, Rahm’s pursuit of Rory could be it. And if he’s able to pull off the victory, this could be a fun little battle that lasts the duration of the PGA TOUR season.

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