Masters 2017: Jon Rahm aiming to honour idol Seve Ballesteros with Augusta victory
JON RAHM is banking on some spiritual assistance from his hero Seve Ballesteros to help with his Masters history bid.
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The former world No 1 amateur, who finished runner-up at the World Matchplay last month, is aiming to become the first rookie winner of the tournament for 38 years and he believes he will have his fellow Spaniard in his corner at Augusta.
The final round on Sunday will be played on what would have been Ballesteros’s 60th birthday.
“Seve is my ultimate reference idol. I try to emulate a lot of things he did,” said the 22-year-old.
Jon Rahm wants to emulate Seve Ballesteros
The final round on Sunday will be played on what would have been Ballesteros' 60th birthday
“The name Seve Ballesteros is really important for me and if I have a chance on Sunday, I'll keep in mind that I know he'll be out there, much like at Medinah, hopefully helping me out to get the Green Jacket.
"I know he'll be out for the entire week but hopefully on Sunday he can make a special present.
“If I didn't think I could win it, I wouldn't be here. I'm going to tee it up believing that I can win and competing to win.”
Rahm will receive some more practical assistance from another Spanish great Jose Maria Olazabal.
“I'm hoping to play with him on Wednesday morning,” said Rahm.
“There's not many players alive that know more about this place than he does. I know he will give me some valuable info on pretty much every single hole.”