Garcia, Rahm feel spirit of Spain at Augusta National

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Jon Rahm won the Masters in 2023, so that means he entered this week having attended just a single Champions dinner, the one he hosted a year ago that featured delicacies selected from his native Basque region of Spain.

More important than the food, though, is the conversation, the swapping of stories among the golfers who have slipped on a green jacket at Augusta National. Last year, the dinner fell on what would’ve been Seve Ballesteros’ 67th birthday.

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Ballesteros did not win either of his two Masters on his birthday, April 9. Neither did his close friend José María Olazábal, also a two-time winner. But the date has been a particularly momentous – and poignant – one for the Spanish players each year at the Masters, particularly after Ballesteros passed away at the too-young age of 54 in 2011 after battling brain cancer.

Six years later in 2017, Sergio Garcia won the Masters on April 9. And in 2023, Rahm also won the Masters on Ballesteros’ birthday. Both LIV Golf captains recall feeling an ethereal connection, a spiritual presence on their victory days.

“It can’t be a coincidence,” Rahm said. “… There’s definitely something here going on with him, and with all of us. I think it’s something we can all feel.”

So with Rahm hosting the dinner last year on that date, the conversation quickly transitioned into swapping stories about the legendary Ballesteros, a larger-than-life figure due not only to his success but also his impact on the game’s growth, particularly in his native country as well as the Ryder Cup.

Olazabal, being the closest Masters champion to Ballesteros, usually holds court on these occasions. But it was a normally stoic German, Bernhard Langer, who became surprisingly talkative during Rahm’s dinner.

“He couldn’t wait to tell his next story and just kept on going and going and going to the point where somebody said, let Ollie speak because he might have a few better ones,” Rahm recalled with a smile. “But Bernhard just took over and started sharing stories, and that was really cool. That was really special. I heard things I had never heard before.

“If every dinner is like that … I don’t know how you can top that one. Quite incredible.”

This week, Rahm (the Legion XIII captain) and Garcia (the Fireballs GC captain) each hope to join Ballesteros and Olazabal as two-time Masters winners from Spain. They are two of the dozen LIV Golf players in the field, but unlike the other 10, they share the kinship as countrymen on a course that seems suited for the Spanish flare, creativity, shot-making ability and short-game prowess.

Both enter in excellent form – Garcia is second behind Joaquin Niemann in the season-long Individual Championship race, while Rahm is close behind in third place – and with extremely positive mindsets. It would be no surprise if each one makes serious noise down the stretch Sunday.

Th 45-year-old Garcia has found a second wind in his career in the last year, breaking through with his first LIV Golf individual title, appropriately enough, in Spain at LIV Golf Andalucia on his favorite course Valderrama. He added a second victory this season in Hong Kong while his Fireballs reeled off three straight team titles.

Garcia was in contention last week at LIV Golf Miami, eventually finishing solo third, two shots behind winner Marc Leishman. It was a solid effort going into this week, which will be his 100th career start in a major. That milestone is something he’s planning to embrace with his family.

“I want to go there and enjoy the week, no matter what,” said Garcia. “I’m hoping that I play great and have a chance and make the cut and have a chance at winning. But even if I don’t, I want to enjoy it. 100 majors, it’s not a small feat. I want to really enjoy every single one I play.”

Garcia is playing with a calmness in his game, similar to his approach in winning the Masters eight years ago. Three-time winner Phil Mickelson told Garcia during a press conference last week in Miami that he was impressed with how the Spaniard managed his emotions on the way to winning in 2017.

“You’ve always had the game. You’ve always had the talent. You’ve always driven it so well. You’ve always been such an incredible ball striker,” Mickelson said directly to Garcia. “Augusta is a great course for you, and it seemed like when you had a few bad breaks or whatever reason, you were just in this calm state of mind where it didn’t affect you.”

That hasn’t always been the case. It took Garcia 19 starts to win the Masters, acknowledging previous “issues with Augusta when it comes down to where I’d just get frustrated and maybe feel like I don’t get what I deserve.” Even last year when he missed the cut, shooting a second-round 79, he “kind of lost my head a little bit.”

Consider it another lesson learned. While his desire to win remains strong, his fiery demeanor has now given way to a sense of peace. That’s part of what makes him a threat this week, even though few 45-or-older golfers have ever won a major. The oldest at Augusta National was Jack Nicklaus, who won at age 46 in 1986.

“I want to make sure that I do it the right way this year,” Garcia said. “I want to be here, and I want to enjoy it. I don’t want to focus too much about having to play well or having a chance at winning.

“Obviously, I’m hoping that I would have that chance, but I just want to enjoy my week. This is an amazing week. This something that I get to pleasure of doing every single year because of what happened in 2017.”

The 30-year-old Rahm also can be equally emotive on the course, but he’s also extremely consistent. Since joining LIV Golf, he’s finished inside the top 10 in every start that he’s completed (17 in total; he withdrew last year in Houston with a foot injury).

Last year’s majors, however, were not particulary productive. He tied for 45th in his Masters defense, missed the cut at the PGA Championship and did not play the U.S. Open because of that foot injury. A tie for seventh at The Open was his only positive performance. “Not my favorite major season last year,” he said.

There were a variety of reasons – several of them off the course – that diverted his focus last year at the Masters, but those headwinds seemed to have disappeared. His family is healthy, he’s enjoying the team environment with Legion XIII, and he’s solved some technical issues that caused him discomfort with his swing.

Like Garcia, he has his family here in Augusta; they also were with him last week in Miami. “Probably the main reason why I’m going to feel, obviously, a lot happier this week,” he said.

And inside the ropes? The Spanish vibe and connection are once again strong.

During Tuesday’s practice round, Garcia, Rahm and Olazabal played nine holes with Jose Luis Ballester, who last year became the first Spaniard to win the U.S. Amateur. Ballester grew up in Garcia’s hometown of Castellon, and he plays collegiately at Rahm’s alma mater, Arizona State.

“It was amazing,” Ballester said Tuesday afternoon. “… Four green jackets in that group.”

Rahm, meanwhile, spent most of the time listening to Olazabal. “He has a story for every tree,” he joked.

It could be a special stretch for the Spaniards, who are already off to a winning start. Last weekend, Carla Bernat Escuder claimed the Augusta National Women’s Amateur; not only is she from Garcia’s hometown, she’s a product of his golf academy and coached by his father, Victor. Garcia watched her highlights after finishing his round in Miami. “It means so much to Spain and Spanish golf,” he said. “I hope she realizes that.”

While Sunday does not fall on Ballesteros’ birthday, Garcia and Rahm will continue to feel his presence this week. Winning multiple green jackets would certainly be the most appropriate way to honor him.