Smith: I think Jon Rahm might be the man to beat at The Open

Jon Rahm smiled and said: "I was expecting tougher questions, honestly."

The Spaniard was leaving the media centre following his news conference on Tuesday ahead of this week's Open Championship at Royal Birkdale when he offered the admission. 

Given the circumstances, it was an understandable expectation. 

The questions, he might've suspected, were likely to focus on the uncertainty over LIV Golf's long-term direction and his inconsistent performances in the majors over the past few years. 

They never arrived. 

Instead, Rahm was spared another round of discussion about his future plans amid a fractured landscape.

Reporters asked for his thoughts on the course changes to Birkdale, whether the sport needs an international major, how he deals with doubt and even just how many irons he anticipates hitting off tee boxes this week. 

He looked more relaxed than usual and that is a problem for the 156-man field. 

The best version of Rahm has always been the one who doesn't look agitated. 

It didn't surprise me at all when he struggled on his title defence of The Masters two years ago. 

He arrived that week carrying a different kind of pressure as it was his first major start since making his mega-money move to LIV.

At his pre-tournament news conference, he delivered an unusually guarded performance and looked like he was carrying a burden. 

Not anymore. 

Rahm arrives at the 154th Open Championship chasing his third major championship title and first since the 2023 Masters when he came from behind to defeat Brooks Koepka at Augusta National. 

He acknowledged that he has performed "overall poorly" in the majors in 2026 (T38-T2-MC) but insisted that he's playing well enough to win his first Claret Jug. 

"I don't feel like I've been in that much of a dip," he said.  

"Perhaps in some major championships – and perhaps because I've been playing on LIV people want to diminish how I've been playing and what I've been accomplishing.

"Sometimes where we feel our game is at doesn't always relate to results. I feel like it’s in a really good spot. 

"I've worked on changes and improvements and sometimes when you put it in competition it takes time to feel good.

"But it was good last week [at the Scottish Open], it was comfortable and I made some swings which were way better than in the past.

"I think I am playing good enough to win, it is just being disciplined on the golf course and playing smart."

Rahm insisted he has no "growing impatience" to land another major title. 

"The only growing impatience I would have is to give myself more chances," he said. 

"I've been able to do it once in the last two years so far. Hopefully I get another chance."

Another major opportunity appears inevitable for Rahm, and with Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy yet to find their best form, this could be the week he seizes it.

Should he take control of the championship, I won't be betting against him to see it through.