WASHINGTON • Jon Rahm can overtake Rory McIlroy and become world No. 1 for the first time in his career with a victory at the PGA Workday Charity Open, which concludes on Sunday.
The 25-year-old Spaniard teed off yesterday alongside reigning US Open champion Gary Woodland and Norwegian Viktor Hovland at Muirfield Village Golf Club as the opening round got under way.
Four-time Major champion McIlroy has topped the rankings since February, a month before the PGA Tour's three-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But with the Northern Irishman not in action this week ahead of next week's Memorial Tournament at the same course in Dublin, Ohio, Rahm has a chance to swipe the top spot in the new event.
It was created to fill a gap in the revised and condensed schedule after the John Deere Classic was axed due to the Covid-19 crisis.
The only Spaniard to hold the No. 1 ranking was the late Seve Ballesteros, who was on top for 61 weeks between 1986 and 1989.
But Rahm now has the opportunity to cement his name in the history books like his compatriot.
He credits his willingness to fight for every shot as a reason his results have been consistent enough to give him a chance to reach the summit.
"I fight on the golf course for every shot I hit every single day," he said. "That never-give-up attitude, even if I'm starting 30th in the final round and I've got no chance of winning, I still want to finish as high as possible.
"It's important to fight for those shots. Top 10s are still top 10s and the better you play, the more chances you are in the top 10, the more chances you will have to win."
The Muirfield event will be the fifth PGA Tour tournament in a row played without spectators. The Tour initially hoped to invite fans back for next week's Memorial before spiking Covid-19 cases in Ohio laid waste to those plans.
Rahm was in hot form earlier this season, winning last October's Spanish Open and the World Tour Championship at Dubai in November, taking Race to Dubai and European Tour Player of the Year honours.
NOT GOING DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT
That never-give-up attitude, even if I'm starting 30th in the final round and I've got no chance of winning, I still want to finish as high as possible.
JON RAHM, on what goes through his mind on the golf course.
He was a runner-up at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in January and finished tied for third at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship just before the shutdown.
Since returning from the layoff, Rahm has a missed cut at Colonial and he finished out of the top 30 at the Travelers Championship last month.
However, the 2018 Ryder Cup winner is determined to get out of his funk.
"I don't want to be a player who gets maybe a couple wins and everything else is missed cuts or T40s because that's not who I am," he said.
"Every time I tee it up I fight my hardest on every shot. That's why that grind kind of translates to consistent play."
Eighth-ranked Patrick Cantlay is among seven of the world's top 15 at the event, including world No. 4 Justin Thomas and four-time Major winner Brooks Koepka.
Fellow Americans Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson and former world No. 1 Jason Day of Australia are among the other big names in the field.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
