World No. 3 — and brand-new dad! — Jon Rahm has a pretty stellar record at Augusta National. The 26-year-old Spaniard has never finished outside of the top 27 in four appearances at the Masters, and he’s been in the top 9 in his last three starts.
It’s clear Rahm knows a thing or two about how to be successful at Augusta, and unsurprisingly, his flatstick is a big factor. But as a Scottsdale resident, how does Rahm prepare for Augusta’s unique putting surfaces? On this week’s episode of Subpar, Rahm explained his practice method to hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz.
Jon Rahm says this is an overblown narrative about how to win the Masters
“You try to be as precise as you can be where you’re at, and then hopefully the feel transfers when you get to Augusta,” Rahm said. “To be honest, a lot of times I get there, and I’m putting from memory. Since there’s the same setup every year, I have the memory of what the stroke is supposed to be. And I’ve heard Jordan Spieth say that before, and I’ve heard some of the great players that have won the Masters and play good there say the same thing.
“Like if I go to Augusta on a week that’s it’s not the Masters and the greens are drastically slow, and I look at a putt that I’ve hit before, I still see the break and feel the speed that I hit that one time,” Rahm continued. “So, it’s a lot of memory putting because it is visually very deceiving. A lot of putts that don’t look that fast are very fast, and those that look fast are not that fast. It’s a lot of just knowing the greens. It’s probably why first-time players don’t win that often, because it’s a place that you learn how to play.”
Given his performance over the past four years, Rahm appears to be a quick study when it comes to Augusta’s nuances. Can he improve upon his career-best solo-fourth finish in 2018? We’ll soon find out. Rahm tees off at 10:42 a.m. ET on Thursday in a powerhouse grouping that includes Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele.
For more from Rahm — including his thoughts on what it takes to win at Augusta and the unique first-tee experience at the Masters — check out his full episode below.
