Jon Rahm makes big shout for Europe’s captain for the 2031 Ryder Cup: there’s an emotional symmetry

Spanish golfer Jon Rahm welcomed the decision on Wednesday to name Girona as the host of the 2031 Ryder Cup, and said it would be a smart move to have fellow golfer Sergio García serve as captain of the European team – just as Severiano Ballesteros did at Valderrama (Cádiz) in 1997.

Rahm picks Garcia for 2031

Rahm said it would be “a very good decision” for García to play a prominent role in the biennial team competition, which pits Europe’s best golfers against their US counterparts. The event will take place in six years at the Camiral Resort Golf & Wellness course in Caldes de Malavella, Girona.

“Having a local captain would be fantastic for the crowd,” Rahm told reporters at a press conference in Uttoxeter, England, ahead of the LIV Golf UK tournament, which is backed by Saudi funding. “If history teaches us anything – and it’s hard to compare anyone to Seve – but I’ve only heard amazing things about that Ryder Cup. So if it’s possible, it would be a really smart move to have Sergio involved.”

Sergio García, 45, holds the record for most Ryder Cup points earned by a single player (28.5), racked up across ten appearances between 1999 and 2021.

Rahm, who has played in three Ryder Cups himself, said it would be “absolutely incredible” to compete in one on home soil.

“I don’t think I can put it into words,” he said. “Both Paris (2018) and Rome (2023) were so special, that the idea of playing one in Spain – it’s just impossible to describe. I don’t even know how I’d feel. Of course there would be some pressure, but it would definitely be a dream come true.”

He recalled that only four Spaniards took part in the 1997 Ryder Cup, with Ballesteros as captain, Miguel Ángel Jiménez as vice-captain, and José María Olazábal and Nacho Garrido as players.

“So only four people can say they’ve done that. I don’t know how many players get to say they played a Ryder Cup in their own country – not many, apart from the Americans obviously. But it would be amazing. I’m thrilled it’s happening and I really hope I get to be a part of it, one way or another,” said the golfer from Barrika.

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