Rahm has high hopes for McKibbin as he chases the “special” one

Jon Rahm of Spain looks on as he practices on the driving range prior to The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 15, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Oisin Keniry/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)

Jon Rahm admits he’s visualised himself raising the Claret Jug to the sky and claiming what he describes as “the most prestigious event you can win in golf.”

But the two-time Irish Open champion also admits he’s jealous of his LIV Golf teammate Tom McKibbin’s precocious talent as he plays The Open in front of his home fans.

The Newtownabbey native (22) makes just his second appearance in the game’s oldest major this week and Rahm confesses he’s been blown away by the Northern Irishman’s poise under duress and his silky swing.

“Well, Tom McKibbin should be really looking forward to this week, being a member here and being from Northern Ireland,” Rahm said.

“He's a fantastic young man. For a 22-year-old to be as calm and collected as he is is quite phenomenal.  

“He's quiet by nature, but even in competition when things go wrong, he stays quite calm, and it's just remarkable and an incredible gift to have for a young player.

“I don't think I can relate to that whatsoever, so I'm a little bit jealous of that. I think it's going to serve him very well in the long run.

“Obviously I think he's obviously internally processing the same emotions that all of us are processing, but outwardly he stays really, really calm, and that helps him quite a bit, on top of having a fantastic golf swing.  

“I don't know what it is about Northern Ireland, but they have two of the most beautiful golf swings ever produced in golf (in McKibbin and Roy McIlroy).  

“He's a fantastic golfer in general. He's got all the tools he needs to succeed in this game, and so far in his early career, he's done so.”

Rahm feels “comfortable” playing links golf in Ireland, having won the Irish Open at Portstewart in 2017 and at Lahinch in 2019.

“Ireland and Northern Ireland have been very good to me in my golf career. It's been a lot of fun to be able to play here, have done well in Portrush in the past and have really good memories in Portstewart, so I'm really, really looking forward to this week,” he said.

The Bilbao star has made the cut in seven of his eight Open starts and while it’s been 37 years since a Spaniard lifted the Claret Jug, he admits he’s visualised himself raising that trophy.

“Yes,” said Rahm, who was 11th at Royal Portrush in 2011, joint third at Sandwich in 2021,  joint runner up at Royal Liverpool in 2023 and tied seventh behind Xander Schauffele last year.

“In my opinion, The Open Championship is the most prestigious event you can win in golf. For my understanding of the game and the history of the game, I think the Claret Jug is the most special one.

“There's an order to it, too, because it changes venues, so if you can win it in St Andrews, I don't think anything in golf can come close to that. Obviously, there are different ones that have a lot of significance as well.

“The Open to me, I think that's what it is. It's the home of golf. Golf started in this part of the world.  

“It's the oldest championship we have, and that's what makes it so special -- the type of golf we play, the links courses where, in theory, it’s meant to be played, the elements, the weather, it's quite unique.  

“I don't think there's a word to describe it, but all together it's what makes it so special.”