Jon Rahm walked off Royal Birkdale on Saturday with his ears still ringing and a confession that had nothing to do with his scorecard.
The Spaniard had just spent 18 holes alongside Tommy Fleetwood in the third round of The Open Championship, and the Southport faithful let him know about it on every step. Fleetwood grew up minutes from the course, and the galleries have treated him like a son all week. Rahm called the support “constant” and “unconditional” — but admitted there was one thing that made his Saturday more survivable than it might have been.
England losing to Argentina in the World Cup semifinal on Wednesday.
“The best way I can explain it, it was so intense that, without meaning any disrespect to England, I’m glad England didn’t win that game because I would have been having a heck of a three days with the fans if they played Spain in the final,” Rahm said.
Spain face Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with England having already claimed third place via a 6-4 win over France in Miami. Had England advanced instead of Argentina, Rahm — a Spaniard walking alongside England’s adopted hometown hero at an Open on English soil — would have been wearing the rival colors into a hornet’s nest already buzzing at full tilt.
Instead, the Birkdale crowds directed their energy at Fleetwood without turning on anyone else. Rahm made a point of praising that restraint.
“You can hear it constantly no matter where he goes. It’s constant unconditional support. The best part is they cheer him on, but they’re respectful to everybody else playing. That’s what makes it so fun for all of us,” he said. “No matter how late in the round, how bad things get, everybody is almost cheering for everybody in the group. I felt plenty of support even playing with Tommy, and it’s been a lot of fun.”
Rahm drew on his own experience to put Fleetwood’s week in perspective. “I can’t imagine what it’s like to play what’s most likely his favourite event of the year at home because I get a small pinch of what it feels like to play when I play in the Spanish Open, and if it was a major in Spain, I can only imagine what it feels like.”
Fleetwood posted a third-round 69 on Saturday, leaving him five shots off the lead heading into Sunday’s final round. Sam Burns holds the heavy favorite’s position after an impressive round of his own, with Rahm one shot adrift of the Tour Championship winner. Rory McIlroy has said he will root for Fleetwood once his own chances are gone, and Rahm seemed to share that sentiment — though he was more focused on how Fleetwood is handling the weight of an entire town’s expectations.
“He’s done a fantastic job at managing it. Yeah, it’s just a lot more to deal with the whole week, not just today. It’s something he needs to be aware of constantly,” Rahm said. “For the most part, when things are going good, it’s very easy to ride that wave. Tomorrow if he gets going early, makes two, three birdies the first four or five holes, you can ride that wave, and everybody on the course will know where Tommy is and what’s going on.”
Five shots back with 18 to play is a tall order. But if Fleetwood can find two or three early birdies on Sunday, Rahm knows exactly what comes next — because he spent Saturday hearing it at full volume, and that was with England already out.
