- Jon Rahm came from behind to win the Masters and his first green jacket.
- Despite the whirlwind few days, Rahm honored his commitment to play in the RBC Heritage.
A lot of commitments come with winning the Masters, so you would probably forgive Jon Rahm if he decided to pull out of this week's RBC Heritage tournament.
But that's not Jon Rahm.
While a civil war has broken out in the golf world as many stars have left the PGA Tour for bigger money in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league, Rahm has remained steadfast in his commitment to the tour, classic golf, and the fans.
Just four days after Rahm won the Masters and his first green jacket, he was teeing it up again at The RBC Heritage in South Carolina. He is the first Masters champ to play in the Heritage since Jordan Spieth in 2015 and just the second since Vijay Singh in 2000.
Before the Heritage, Rahm was asked if he had considered withdrawing from the tournament and why he didn't. His answer was a reminder of how grounded the No. 1 golfer in the world is.
"It did cross my mind, but I made a commitment earlier in the year, and I want to honor that commitment," Rahm told the media. "Also, talking to [my wife] Kelley, I put myself in the shoes of not only the spectators but the kids as well. If I was one of the kids, I would want to see the recent Masters champion play good or bad, just want to be there."
So instead of ditching the kids, the fans, and the tournament, Rahm took some extra steps to ensure he was in proper form for the Heritage.
"Obviously, I think it would have crossed anybody's because I was so tired," Rahm said. "But that's why I decided to come in yesterday afternoon and take it easier and just give my body a rest before I got into competition mode."
Rahm didn't let down Jimmy Williams
One of the young fans Rahm didn't let down was Jimmy Williams from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Williams, a heart transplant recipient, was allowed to ask Rahm a question during the press conference and meet the golfer afterward.
It was a great question as we learned that the thing Rahm has thought most about since winning the Masters is the menu for next year's champions dinner.
The moderator: We have a special guest from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This is Jimmy. He's a heart transplant recipient. He's got a question for you.
Rahm: You look great, man. Usually, you guys ask the hard questions.
Jimmy: So what do you think you're going to put on the Masters menu next year?
Rahm: I think this is the part of the week that I've given the most amount of thought already. I don't know exactly. Chef Jose Andres is a really good friend of mine, so I'll be working with him. I also want to talk to [José María Olazábal], because we're from the same part of Spain, to see what he did in his dinner, see if I can go a different route. I think I have one of the appetizers down, which would be jambon, Spanish ham, the dessert, which I won't be disclosing, and the wine. Everything in between is still up in the air. Those three things I think I have down for now.
Rahm has financial incentive to play, but money is not his priority
There is also a financial incentive for Rahm to participate in the Heritage. As part of the new program to reward the PGA Tour's top players, the top 20 players in last year's Player Impact Program (PIP) — golf's version of a social media popularity contest — are required to participate in this year's "designated" tournaments.
The 17 designated tournaments, including the majors, have larger $20 million purses, and the top 20 players are required to play in 16 if they are eligible. These are designed to get more star golfers in the same tourneys.
Rory McIlroy, who did pull out of this week's Heritage, was docked $3 million — 25% of his 2022 $12 million PIP prize — for missing his second designated tournament of the season.
However, Rahm made it clear when he explained why he did not defect to LIV Golf that money is not the most important thing for him when it comes to playing golf.
"Yeah, money is great, but when this thing first happened, [my wife and I] started talking about it, and we're like, Will our lifestyle change if I got $400 million? No, it will not change one bit," Rahm told the media before an event in 2022. "Truth be told, I could retire right now with what I've made, and I'd live a very happy life and not play golf again.
"So I've never really played the game of golf for monetary reasons. I play for the love of the game, and I want to play against the best in the world. I've always been interested in history and legacy, and right now, the PGA Tour has that."
Jon Rahm is one of the good ones.