Jon Rahm admits Tiger Woods celebration was ‘the biggest overreaction’

LIV Golf star Jon Rahm is preparing to represent Spain at the Paris Olympics, with the golf event scheduled to take place at Le Golf National—a course that holds special memories for him.

Rahm vividly recalls his exuberant celebration after defeating Tiger Woods in the 2018 Ryder Cup, describing it as “the biggest overreaction to a four-footer I’ve ever seen.” As he gears up for the Olympics, Rahm looks forward to competing at Le Golf National, the venue of his Ryder Cup debut for Team Europe in 2018. During that event, Rahm significantly contributed to Europe’s victory over the USA by a margin of 7.5 points, despite being the youngest contender.

Although Rahm faced challenges in his initial matches, he secured a crucial victory against Woods on the final day. Sinking a tense four-foot putt on the 17th hole, he unleashed a torrent of emotion in celebration. Reflecting on this pivotal moment, the 2023 Masters champion said, “It ranks very high. It was my first ever Ryder Cup point, so it ranks very high.”

He continued, “I didn’t have my best week, and I got carried by [Justin] Rosey in the first match, which we lost on 18, and [Ian] Poulter kind of carried me in the second one. We lost to a great [Jordan] Spieth/Justin Thomas duo, and to win my first Ryder Cup point on Sunday against Tiger is quite unique. So yeah, it’s going to be very high up there. I would always say it’s the biggest overreaction to a four-footer I’ve ever seen, but it’s still what I felt in that moment.”

Despite his illustrious career, including two major championships and multiple PGA Tour titles, Rahm remains uncertain about the personal significance of an Olympic gold medal. “I don’t know,” he admitted ahead of the games. “It’s a hard question to answer because there’s been things in my life that I thought were going to have a different impact personally, that after accomplishing them, I felt more or less than I thought. If I can end up with the win on Sunday next week, you can ask me the same question and I’ll be able to tell you.”

Although Rahm has enjoyed a stellar career on the PGA Tour, he has yet to secure a victory on the LIV Golf circuit since his high-profile move. With the summer Olympics fast approaching, golf fans will be eagerly watching the men’s event from August 1-4, while the women’s competition is scheduled for August 7-10.