"I couldn't believe it!" Jon Rahm still in shock at Ryder Cup crowd behaviour

After a week of "inhospitable" abuse from the New York crowds at the Ryder Cup, Jon Rahm is relishing the chance to feed off the positive energy from his home fans as he bids for a fourth Open de Espana title.

Rahm was one of the main targets for the rowdy New Yorkers at Bethpage Black, and he could scarcely believe some of the things he was hearing during Europe's momentous 15-13 victory.

The two-time major champion compared the Ryder Cup atmosphere to a highly-charged football match, although he defied the unsavoury behaviour to contribute three points from his five matches.

Rahm is now looking forward to enjoying some home comforts at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, where he will again attempt to surpass the late, great Seve Ballesteros with a fourth victory in his national Open.

The support he will get this week will be a direct contrast to what he experienced at Bethpage, and Rahm is clearly still troubled by the unruly behaviour outside the ropes in New York.

“That week in New York was mentally the toughest week of my career," said Rahm in Madrid. "But at the same time it was the most fun I’ve had. What happened there during those three days was something inhospitable. At times I couldn’t believe it.

"With alcohol being sold (very early), by 9am things were already out of control. You could compare it to soccer, but then you have the noise of 50,000 people and you don’t actually hear what each person is saying. 

“In my case, every step I took I could hear everything.”

His European team-mate Bob MacIntyre was in the identical situation as he roared to victory in the storm-hit Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Sunday, and Rahm is using that as one of his main inspirations this week.

"I would say after watching Bob MacIntyre win in Scotland it's a huge positive," he added. "From having the crowd against us to having everybody cheer for me is going to be very special. Massive difference, massive juxtaposition but beautiful if a different way, right?

"I'm looking forward to hopefully getting that fourth Spanish Open. And again, hoping to actually just perform well in front of this crowd. 

"They have been so good to me, they have been so supportive, the least I can do is give many my best shot and hopefully I'm there on Sunday to win it.

"It's possibly two of the most emotional weeks for me. Being part of a Ryder Cup is something so unique, so special, especially winning away. It's incredible. It's an incredible feeling. 

"But then coming to Spain, an event that matters so much to me, hoping to win for the fourth time. Hard to put it into words, right. May not be the biggest event in the world but to me it's one of the biggest."

Rahm is already looking ahead to the 2031 Ryder Cup as the contest returns to Spain for the first time since Ballesteros captained Europe to a dramatic one-point victory over the USA at Valderrama in 1997.

The 30-year-old will be desperate to be a part of that European team in six years' time, and he knows that will be one of the most memorable weeks of his career.

“It’s going to be hard to outdo that week (at Bethpage)," Rahm said. "Possibly in the 2031 Ryder here in Spain, which will be more special for me than for anything else."