U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2022

June 18, 2022

Jon Rahm

The Country Club

Flash Interview

THE MODERATOR: Jon Rahm, 1-over 71. Can you just talk us through your round today?

JON RAHM: Good round of golf. It was obviously extremely difficult conditions, the wind being a little bit higher and stronger than the last few days, a different direction. Then the course being a little bit firmer, right, that's just a recipe for difficulty.

I played good. It's a good round of golf. Obviously, I think a lot of people are just thinking about 18. The truth is, 18, it was six good shots. Unfortunately, it added up to 6, but it was all good swings.

If anything, it was maybe a choice or a decision on the fairway bunker, but swings were good, so execution was proper. So I'm happy about that in that sense.

A couple of the holes like that 3-wood on 17 or 14 or the driver on 12, it paid off, so it's just things that happen in golf.

THE MODERATOR: Obviously, you know how to win this championship, being the defending champion. What are you going to do tomorrow to add another?

JON RAHM: Same thing. Same thing. I just have to do me. That's it.

I can't control what the guys ahead or behind me are doing. I just have to focus on myself and my game and play my golf, shot by shot. Try to be as committed as possible to each shot, and that's it.

The second you get too caught up in what others are doing at a U.S. Open is when you start making bogeys and double-bogeys in a row. Yeah, exactly that. Just nothing special. Nothing that needs to change. Just, again, making decisions and executing.

Q. You said there was a choice or a decision for your second shot. Can you just walk us through that?

JON RAHM: I haven't thought really about it. Quite frankly, it was a little dark, and it was hard to see. After I hit the shot, I realized the ball was a little bit deeper in the sand than I could really truly see.

But I think I got maybe -- tried to be a little too perfect with the shot. I had a 9-iron in hand. That's plenty to get over that lip.

Maybe I was trying to get too cute, making sure -- looking for another birdie, where I could have just hit a 9-iron and hope it gets over the bunker and see what happens.

It is what it is. I think I got a little bit too cute with the shot.

Q. You said in your career you're always good when you leave it on the golf course and you don't really think about it. What are your emotions now 15 minutes after you've finished?

JON RAHM: I'm very content. I'm not going to lie. It's infuriating in a sense to finish that way with how good I played those holes, but like I kept telling myself, if on the 14th day you tell me you can post 1-over par and not play the last five holes, I would have ran to the clubhouse because of how difficult it was playing. I would have taken it, no questions asked.

I think I have to consider that. I have 18 holes, and I'm only one shot back. That's the important thing.

Q. How do you approach tomorrow? There are so many great players all within a couple of shots of the lead.

JON RAHM: I think I just said it. I can't worry about what's going on. I know somebody behind is going to come out hot and is going to post a score, and I know I'm going to have to play good and probably shoot in the red numbers. That's my job.