There’s no denying that Jon Rahm is a larger-than-life figure in his native Spain. When the U.S. Open champion and current world No. 1 arrived in the country on Monday in advance of this week’s Acciona Spanish Open, he noticed the signs right away.
“I realize if I’m walking around Madrid how often I get recognized now, and then I see my mug everywhere,” Rahm said Friday during a mid-round interview. “I see my face on buildings and buses and bus stops and train stations. It’s unusual, right? I’m not used to seeing any of that, so I realize how much I mean to the Spanish crowd and how much they mean to me; that’s why I keep coming every year and try to make them proud.