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Jon Rahm On Sizzling Sunday At The Masters, Baby-Seat-Friendly Rides And His Esports Dreams

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Moving day at the Masters is supposed to be Saturday, but you can excuse Jon Rahm for getting the memo a day late. He just became a dad the weekend ahead of golf’s first major of the year. Rahmbo drove down Magnolia Lane the day before the tournament kicked off and had extremely limited prep time to get a feel for the greens, which would play even faster and firmer than in years past.

“I could only play the golf course once, for about an hour, and I think the lack of preparation translated into the way I was playing,” explains Rahm, who played three consecutive rounds of even par golf before he found his groove.

The Spaniard, who came into the Sunday tied for 21st, got his round going with some razzle dazzle. He carded a birdie followed by an eagle, and the good times would continue to roll. Rahm’s knack for flush-struck irons that land within kick-in distance to the cup was on full display on No. 12, Golden Bell. The gallery went nuts when he tucked his tee shot close to the pin. Rahm then aptly celebrated his good fortune on Amen Corner by looking up to the heavens and crossing himself. He’d finish with a 6-under par 66 for the low round of the day. Rahm’s meteoric rise up the leaderboard to a T5 finish earned the elite ballstriker $437,000 in prize money from the Masters’ $11.5 million purse.

“When you can play golf like that at a golf course where most people are just happy shooting under par, it’s a huge boost in confidence,” Rahm relates when reached by phone.

“If there’s anything I learned that day on a golf course where the wind can be gusty, is just to make a decision and be a 100% committed to it. You may be right, you might be wrong but if you execute and hit a shot and commit to it, there is a better chance that things are going to go ok,” Rahm adds.

Car commitment is another story. The Mercedes-Benz ambassador is finding his taste in models made by the German luxury automaker evolving now that he is factoring in driving with a newborn aboard. 

“My favorite has been the G-Wagon,” Rahm says. He’s driven the off-road icon since signing an endorsement deal with the company in 2018. But baby-seat considerations have caused him to reassess his automotive priorities.

“I’m pretty tall and have long legs. So I put the seat all the way back, the baby seat barely fits, which I learned coming back from the hospital,” Rahm says. He’s now eyeing the roomy GLS 450 SUV, which he took for a spin during Masters week, as well as the new S-class out this summer.

While he mulls over his next set of wheels, Rahm is getting set for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The team event where Ryan Palmer and him will defend their title tees off April 22nd. Despite a nearly 20-year age gap between the players, they’re actually longtime friends dating back to Rahm’s first PGA Tour tournament when he played the Phoenix Open as an amateur and was paired with Ryan in the final round.

“It seems like an odd couple, right? the 40-something Texan and the 20-something Spanish guy that don’t live together and shouldn’t really have any connection whatsoever,” Rahm jokes.

“He’s a great guy. I love him and his caddie. He plays golf in a very similar way to the way that I do and hits the ball left to right as well. He’s a great guy to be around.”

With eight top ten finishes so far this season, tops on tour, this could be a career year for Rahm but that doesn’t mean he can’t squeeze in a passion project. A fan of esports, particularly Activision’s ATVI first-person shooter Call of Duty, he could envision himself making a foray into the space.

“If I could have my own franchise or my own team in the Call of Duty League, I think that would be really cool. Now granted, it’s not like I’m a great player and I have no idea about the business, but it’s something I follow,” Rahm says.

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