Scott Michaux: Rahm hopes to become next Spaniard to win Masters, and he just might do it

Jon Rahm walked into the ornately appointed interview room for the first time Monday, his eyes wide open as he surveyed his surroundings.

“Wow,” said the 22-year-old Spanish rookie many are predicting might win the Masters.

Rahm might want to get used to the view from the dais here. His presence is likely to become very familiar.

“I’m going to tee it up believing that I can win, competing to win,” Rahm said. “I might do it; I might not but that’s how I do it.”

Rahm is the latest young superstar who shows up at Augusta National fearless. That Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 was the only rookie to win a green jacket since the first two Masters doesn’t seem to faze these guys any more.

Jason Day threatened to win his debut in 2011. Jordan Spieth did the same in 2014.

Rahm – who climbed from 551st in the world the day he turned professional last June to No. 12 coming into the Masters – is already being regarded as one of the favorites at Augusta.

“I don’t see any reason why he can’t go and play well or be in contention this week and have a chance to win,” said Rickie Fowler of Rahm. “He’s got all the shots you want or need.”

Born the same year Jose Maria Olazabal won his first Masters (1994), Rahm grew up idolizing Seve Ballesteros. He obsessed over YouTube videos of the legendary Spaniard and tried to channel Seve’s inimitable creativity.

Rahm, however, grew taller and sturdier with a body built for power and a mind honed on finesse. If central casting was building a perfect prototype of a Masters champion, Rahm might fit the mold.

His uncommon game and the Spanish legacy at Augusta beckons his arrival.

“It really is a place that seems to suit the Spanish game character, the Spanish way of playing,” Rahm said.

It’s no secret Rahm was destined to be a breakout star. He showed up at Arizona State not knowing any English and learned how to speak it fluently by studying rap lyrics. On the course, he won 11 tournaments in college and is the only player ever to win consecutive Ben Hogan Awards as collegiate golf’s best player. He was ranked the No. 1 amateur golfer in the world for 60 weeks.

He could have turned pro years ago, but never wavered from a promise he made to his parents that he would graduate college.

“There was a very small chance I was going to turn pro early no matter what happened,” he said.

After he finished low amateur in last year’s U.S. Open, tying for 23rd, Rahm was finally finished with school and ready for his professional closeup. A week later he tied for third in his pro debut at Congressional and a month later he tied for runner-up in the Canadian Open to secure his tour card.

In January, he went to Torrey Pines and earned his first win with a walk-off eagle. His college coach – Phil Mickelson’s brother, Tim – anticipated it before it happened.

“He told me, ‘It’s going to be a special week for you,” Rahm said of Mickelson. “For some reason, everybody around me and my team felt it. My girlfriend told me the same thing. My caddie told me the same thing. And once I got to the golf course, I was like, man, I love this place. It fits my game better than any golf course I’ve played so far. Maybe he just put that idea in my mind or maybe truly it’s something we all felt.”

Now, many have the same feeling about Rahm and Augusta. He comes in riding four consecutive top-10 finishes including an epic performance in the WGC Match Play where he dominated most of his opponents before succumbing to Dustin Johnson in the final match.

“Once I got back to the groove, I learned that when I’m playing good, I can take on the No. 1 player in the world,” Rahm said.

He’s soaking in everything about Augusta with the same wonder he had when he walked into the interview room. Even the storms that cut short his first day of preparation couldn’t dampen his youthful enthusiasm.

“I had the hour of my life being on the chipping green,” Rahm said. “It really is amazing just to walk down Magnolia Lane and feel how well respected the game of golf is. It’s truly amazing.”

Sunday, April 9, would have been Seve Ballesteros’ 60th birthday. For a young Spanish kid who idolized a legend and dreamed of one day following in his footsteps in events like the Masters and Open Championship, believing that a little magic might fall his way at Augusta isn’t unreasonable.

Perhaps the spirit of Seve can do for Rahm what it did for the Europeans during an improbable comeback at the 2012 Ryder Cup.

“If I have a chance on Sunday, I’ll keep in mind that I know he’ll be out there – much like at Medinah – hopefully helping me out to get the green jacket,” Rahm said. “I know he’ll be out for the entire week but hopefully on Sunday he can make a special present.”