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I'm not perfect, says Rahm, as he reacts to Koepka jibe

golf30 September 2023 13:47| © Reuters
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Jon Rahm © Gallo Images

Jon Rahm let his sublime golf do the talking again as he helped post another Ryder Cup point for Europe on Saturday, the day after being accused of acting like "a child" by Brooks Koepka.


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The Spaniard and partner Tyrrell Hatton got Europe's bandwagon rolling in Friday's foursomes rout by securing the first point, and they were at it again on Saturday as Rahm's near hole-in-one on the 17th sealed a 2&1 defeat of Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay.

Rahm also picked up a half point in Friday's fourballs with rookie Nicolai Hojgaard in a fierce duel with Koepka and Scottie Scheffler thanks to two eagles in the last three holes.

After being rested for Saturday's fourballs, Rahm shed light on what had provoked Koepka's outburst, saying he had banged a board in anger after Scheffler had sunk a putt on the 17th to put the Americans one ahead going to the last.

"I'm not going to stand here and say I'm a perfect example on what to do on a golf course, but I play and compete," Rahm told reporters. "I play and compete the way I think I need to play and compete, and yeah, I think he mentioned it.

"I'm not happy I left a 10-footer short on 17 to possibly tie the hole, and going up to the tee, I let off some frustration hitting the board sideways, I kept walking, that was it. If Brooks thinks that's childish, it is what it is.

"He's entitled to think what he thinks."

Rahm said he has never had a problem with five-time major winner Koepka who has been portrayed as something of a pantomime villain at this year's Ryder Cup having defected to the LIV Golf tour.

"Up until yesterday afternoon, I thought we had a pretty good relationship," Rahm said. "We're both pretty much, straight-up people that don't like the BS – excuse my language.

"There's always been that mutual respect.

"Listen, had I seen somebody make the putt on 18 the way I did, I would not have been the happiest of people either."

Rahm had eagled his match with a sublime chip-in at the 16th before Scheffler replied to put the Americans one up heading to the last, only for Rahm to make a stunning 33ft eagle putt to earn a tie and spark bedlam around the green.

The 28-year-old Masters champion said he had not even considered his reaction to be anything out of the ordinary and was surprised to have been made aware of Koepka's swipe.

"I've done much worse on a golf course like that," Rahm, whose stunning tee shot at the 17th on Saturday effectively sealed a point, he said. "That doesn't even register to a low level of Jon anger on the golf course.

"I needed to let off some steam and clearly it worked out. Is it right or wrong, childish or not, I don't know, but that's what I needed at the moment."

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