It was pointed out on these pages on Wednesday that there was an underdog in the field of this ACCIONA Open de España presented by Madrid who was intent on spoiling Rahm’s party as he tries to emulate Seve with three titles from his national open. The prediction proved to be spot on.
Min Woo Lee has shown over the first three days, playing alongside the Barrika native, that he has plenty of game to entertain the fans. The Australian will tee it up on the 1st on Sunday just one shot behind Rahmbo and he poses the biggest threat to the Basque in the Spanish capital.
Television commentators today predicted that he will be a top 10 player in a matter of months. He has everything it takes to get there. He destroys the ball from the tee, and it has not been uncommon to see him outdrive Rahm this week. As we all know, Rahm is no short hitter. It is a privilege to watch his ball-striking, particularly with a long iron. On Saturday, he found the fairway on the 7th (par 5), pulled a 7 iron and put it to within 5 feet. He was 240 yards from the flag. Simply stunning.
He is equally adept on the dance floor and, with his free-flowing stroke, he is not one to shrink when faced with a clutch putt – it is no coincidence that he has taken 15 shots from Club de Campo Villa de Madrid so far this week. However, the jewel in the crown of his golf is, without a doubt, his short game. Lee’s masterclass around the greens this week has been nothing short of astonishing. There is no shot he can’t hit. On countless occasions he has looked dead and buried, only to conjure up another brilliant chip to gimme range, or into the hole in the case of the 1st on Friday.
The one thing he does lack is consistency, but he has character in abundance. The fact that he played 12 tournaments on the PGA Tour last season and only made the cut in 3 sums it up perfectly. Those 3 were all majors. He finished T14 at the US Masters on his first visit to Augusta. Pressure will not be an issue on Sunday. Nor will playing with Jon and the throng of fans that come with him.
There are six other players within three shots of Rahm looking to cause an upset; Gallacher, Aphibarnrat, Warren, Pavon, de Jager and Pepperell. Given that Rahm’s average score at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid is 66, anyone else who wants a chance of winning tomorrow will have to go very low indeed. However, don’t write off a charge from lower down the leaderboard that forces Rahm to put his foot down.
