Jon Rahm said he was going to be nervous. Masters week was coming, and he’s the defending Masters champion.
And defending Masters champions, on the Tuesday night of Masters weeks, have to stand before previous defending Masters champions and give a speech that they hope is delivered profoundly — and does not sound goofy.
Three-footers are less daunting.
“Definitely one of the highlights of the week, but for some reason, definitely something I’m nervous about,” Rahm said last week of the talk that’ll come during his Champions Dinner.
“I have no idea why. But it does seem a little daunting having to stand up in front of that group and give a speech even though I know every single one of them has been in my position, some of them more than once. I don’t know, just seems — you’re going to be in that room with the legends of the game, still active and non-active, and that’s something really cool to be able to say and be able to share.”
Then are his duties starting Thursday, when the main event begins. And his confidence level in a title defense.
And the thought of whether you can back him with your hard-earned dollars.
Rahm said he’s good, thank you very much.
Last week, ahead of a tournament for LIV Golf, where he now plays, Rahm said he’d already returned to Augusta, so those nerves have at least simmered. He also believed playing the week before the Masters was beneficial, though more mentally than physically, with the thought being he’d be blinded from looking ahead.
Though winless this year, Rahm said he was confident, too.
“This year, I feel like I have been playing really good golf but not over that hump of winning yet,” Rahm said. “I’m confident now, and I’m equally confident on my game pretty much any given day of the year. I think that’s how any competitor should be. But this is that difference of how I’ve been playing the last few months.
“I’m comfortable.”
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