While Tiger Woods’ comeback from injury is inevitably dominating the build-up to The Masters, Jon Rahm has joked that the 46-year-old is not the best man to ask for advice – unless you’re his friend, Justin Thomas.
Rahm is making final preparations for this year’s tournament as he goes in search of his first Masters win to add to his only other Major win to date, last year’s US Open. However, it is unlikely he will be turning to the five-time Green Jacket winner for advice before he tees it up in the first round. Rahm said: “I think there's only one man in this field that hears advice from Tiger because I've asked before and I get nothing. So you might need to ask Justin Thomas.”
Thomas is one of Woods’ closest friends, and he accompanied Woods on last week’s scouting trip to Augusta National, where he played a practice round with Woods and his son, Charlie. However, Rahm explained that, while Woods has at least answered his questions, he’s never received anything like the detail likely reserved for Thomas. He said: “I've asked him before. I remember asking him at East Lake the year he won, before on the putting green in the practice round: ‘Hey, man, any tips for Bermuda? Or this and that.’ He turned around and said: ‘It's all about feel,’ and just kept going. I was like: ‘Cool, thank you.’ I asked him at Albany once about chipping into the grain: ‘You just got to be shallow.’ OK. Meanwhile I turn around and JT’s there with him, and he's getting a whole dissertation on what to do.”
While Woods may not be too forthcoming with tips for Rahm, the Spaniard, who was World No.1 until Scottie Scheffler replaced him following his win in the WGC-Match Play, could well claim the Green Jacket without his help. Rahm has carded four consecutive top 10 finishes at The Masters, most recently a tie for fifth last year, and he begins the tournament as favourite. Nevertheless, he said he’s not worried about what the bookmakers say:
“I couldn't care any less what the odds say. I mean, I'm not looking at it. I like to think I'm the favourite myself in my mind, right? But I'm not worried about what the other players are doing. I'm just going out there to shoot the lowest score I can, and hopefully that's enough. I never really pay attention to that.”
One thing Rahm has paid attention to is the huge impact Woods’ appearance at Augusta National is already having, and he thinks that the publicity he's generating will guarantee him at least one award. Rahm joked: “The one thing we all know for sure is in three days out here Tiger's going to win the PIP. So I think that's the biggest impact for all of us. We're all playing for No. 2 now. That's it.”
