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A superstar in the making: Head-to-head with Jon Rahm

The journeys taken by talented players, particularly during college golf, are filled with fascinating stories;  moments and matches that will remember forever. The College Links Golf team has been privileged to share in some of these moments and in a series called ‘A Moment To Remember’, we’re going to bring some of them back to life.

First on the tee is  European Challenge Tour player and University of Stirling alum, Jack McDonald, recalling his first visit to the USA and pegging it up against the current world No.1 – Jon Rahm.

The University of Stirling is arguably Europe’s leading golf institution. It has won more European Universities’ titles, sent more players to the World University Golf Championships, and produced more professional tour players than any other college on the continent. It was only fitting, therefore, that they should look to compete further afield. College Links Golf Director, Raleigh Gowrie, was the Athletic Director at the University of Stirling, when the opportunity arose.

“Our golf coach, Dean Robertson, had struck up a friendship with Stanford counterpart Conrad Ray through their Palmer Cup selector roles,” says Gowrie. “After Stanford had visited Scotland one summer, the reciprocal invitation for Stirling to visit California and compete in the 2013 Prestige Invitational soon followed.

“The Stirling team was particularly strong that year, with all five players now competing as professional golfers. They dominated most home-based student-events at the time, but the strength of field in this Pac-10 event was outstanding and included Patrick Rodgers, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Niebrugge and Talor Gooch. It was an incredible breeding ground for producing talented golfers.”

Jack McDonald was Stirling’s leading player at the time, to play in the 2015 Walker Cup and register wins on the EuroPro Tour. Among the awesome crop of talent at that year’s Prestige, he remembers one stand-out. He recalls coming face-to-face with Jon Rahm, a  larger-than-life Spaniard who held all the tools for success.

McDonald (pictured) says: “I didn’t know anybody in the field at the time but our coach made us aware that some of the best talent in the States were present. He didn’t put any pressure on us in terms of performance goals, but instead told us to play the golf course and to watch closely the strategies adopted by our competitors.

“This colossus of a guy with thighs as thick as tree trunks, wearing an Arizona State uniform, shook my hand so tightly on the 1st tee I could feel it going blue” McDonald says, with a laugh. “He proceeded to take out his driver and smash it beyond all the trouble, leaving him with just a gentle pitch to the green. It was then when I became acutely aware that his strategy was totally different to my conservative style of play”.

Perhaps Rahm’s gung-ho approach wasn’t conducive to the tricky Greg Norman designed PGA West course that hosted the event as McDonald went on to finish ahead of Rahm by the tournament end.  However, it was Rahm’s all round game that caught his eye.

“It was clear he was trying to go low from the off as he took on every risk and reward,” he says. “Sometimes it came off, other times it didn’t. It was like he was fearless. It was obvious he was something special. He could hit it miles and he possessed a short game you would just die for. Combined with his confidence in his own ability, it was apparent that he had the potential to play the game at the highest level”.

Little did McDonald know that Rahm would go on achieve 13 professional victories (and counting), including the 2021 US Open, as well as holding the No.1 position in the world’s golf ranking currently.

“It’s cool to say that I once finished ahead of the world’s No 1 golfer and the memory will stay with me, I’m sure” McDonald says. “But time waits for no-one. Some great opportunities have come Jon’s way and his game was ready to make the most of those offers so all credit to him. He is a phenomenal golfer. I’m still waiting for all the parts to align really. So long as I continue to improve, I’ll hope that our paths will cross again competitively on another occasion”.