“Following in their footsteps” - Jon Rahm draws inspiration from Spanish legends ft. Jose Maria Olazabal, Sergio Garcia in 2023 Ryder Cup victory

Jon Rahm mentioned that he drew inspiration from Spanish legends to uphold their legacy during the 2023 Ryder Cup, where he played an important role in Europe's victory on Sunday, October 1st.

Team Europe secured a decisive win over Team USA with a score of 16.5–11.5, successfully defending their home turf. Rahm participated in four matches and remained undefeated, securing two wins and two ties and contributing three points to the European team.

During a post-event interview on Sunday, the 28-year-old Spaniard expressed his admiration for fellow countrymen such as Seve Ballesteros, José María Olazábal, and Sergio García, who have left an unforgettable mark in the tournament's history. Rahm aspired to follow in their footsteps.

Sergio García holds the all-time record for points scored with 28.5 points in 10 appearances, while Ballesteros and Europe's vice-captain Olazábal earned 22.5 and 20.5 points, respectively, over their multiple Ryder Cup appearances.

Rahm also said:

"So it's a lot to live up to, and it's something that really inspires me, especially when José [Olazábal] is around. He always shares little insights to inspire me in that sense."

"Following in their footsteps and contributing to the team's improvement is the approach I've taken as well. I aim to do my part in the team room."

Rory McIlroy scored four points for Team Europe, his best performance at the biennial event in a long time. However, the golfer didn't seem entirely satisfied with his performance.

He said:

"Personally, I didn't feel like I delivered my best performance and didn't feel like I did my part for the team."

"You know, there was a few of us up here that were on that team that wanted to come back, and everyone at the start of the week was talking about, oh, do you want to get revenge, do you want to get revenge on the U.S. Team, and this wasn't about revenge. This was about redemption and showing what we could do.

The 34-year-old Northern Irishman mentioned that their focus is now on winning an away Ryder Cup next. The upcoming Ryder Cup will take place at Bethpage Black Course, Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York.

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How did each player perform at the 2023 Ryder Cup? Individual performance explored

Europe's Rory McIlroy lifts the Ryder Cup after Europe won the trophy defeating the United States at the Marco Simone Golf Club

Below is the performance of each player at the 2023 Ryder Cup( W-L-T):

Europe

• Ludvig Åberg (2–2–0): 2
• Matt Fitzpatrick (1–2–0): 1
• Tommy Fleetwood (3–1–0): 3
• Tyrrell Hatton (3–0–1): 3.5
• Nicolai Højgaard (0–2–1): 0.5
• Viktor Hovland (3–1–1): 3.5
• Shane Lowry (1–1–1): 1.5
• Robert MacIntyre (2–0–1): 2.5
• Rory McIlroy (4–1–0): 4
• Jon Rahm (2–0–2): 3
• Justin Rose (1–1–1): 1.5
• Sepp Straka (1–2–0): 1

United States:

• Sam Burns (1–2–0): 1
• Patrick Cantlay (2–2–0): 2
• Wyndham Clark (1–1–1): 1.5
• Rickie Fowler (0–2–0): 0
• Brian Harman (2–2–0): 2
• Max Homa (3–1–1): 3.5
• Brooks Koepka (1–1–1): 1.5
• Collin Morikawa (1–3–0): 1
• Xander Schauffele (1–3–0): 1
• Scottie Scheffler (0–2–2): 1
• Jordan Spieth (0–2–2): 1
• Justin Thomas (1–2–1): 1.5