Jon Rahm is the 2021 winner of the US Open, the most challenging of the USGA’s yearly golf tournaments. He beat out several strong competitors on Fathers Day in a close finish right up to the last hole. It was notable for several reasons. He’s only 26 years old as well as a new dad of a baby boy. Jon’s father was present too. Jon Rahm is the first Spaniard to win the Open. He has a close tie to San Diego, the home of Torrey Pines, where he won his first major tournament in 2017. And to think he proposed to his wife Kelley just miles away from this famous golf venue.

You could have read all that in the sports news but to me what was also impressive was his post tournament press conference.

Jon has been known for his quick temper and most recently had to withdraw from the Memorial Golf Tournament with a 6 stroke lead because he had tested positive for COVID. It sounds like a perfect storm coming into the US Open and yet he acknowledged his win with grace and articulated lessons learned:

STAY IN THE PRESENT - BE PATIENT AND HOPEFUL - BE A ROLE MODEL FOR MY SON -

FROM THE BIGGEST SETBACK WE CAN GET SOME OF THE BIGGEST BREAKTHROUGHS

And he closed by publicly acknowledging his recent sadness for the death of his close friend and golf journalist due to COVID. Jon Rahm dedicated the prestigious trophy to Jose Manuel Cortizas because “he would have loved more than anybody else to be covering this.”

I hope to remember his “wise words”.

-Harriet