(Photo credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images)

Jon Rahm knows it has been 37 years since a Spaniard won The Open Championship, when Seve Ballesteros lifted his third Claret Jug in 1988.

Rahm has had several close calls, with ties for second in 2023, third in 2021 and seventh last year. He also finished T11 the last time it was played at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland in 2019.

'I can't really give you an answer why (it has been so long),' Rahm said Tuesday as he prepares for the start of the 153rd Open on Thursday.

'The way Seve played, it's a bit of a different way to play on links courses. I think one of the reasons he was so loved in Great Britain and Ireland, because I don't think anybody conceived that that was the way to play links golf -- just hit driver everywhere and somehow find a way to put it on the green and chip and putt. It was not normal, which is a testament to how good of a golfer he was.'

Countrymen Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia made strong runs at The Open Championship. Olazabal twice finished third and Garcia twice finished second.

'I think Sergio and I are obviously more known for being ball strikers,' Rahm said. 'Ollie, besides the driver, everything else was outstanding, one of the best iron players ever. Incredible golf game, both Ollie and Sergio; it's just never easy to win an Open.'

Rahm, 30, returns to Royal Portrush in top form, having finished in the top 15 at all three majors so far and coming off a runner-up showing last week at the LIV Golf Andalucia event in his home country.

Rahm played through blustery conditions at Real Club Valderrama and carded a 6-under 65 on Sunday to finish one stroke behind winner Talor Gooch.

'We had quite a bit of wind, and that's always going to be a very hopeful week to get ready for (the Open),' Rahm said. 'The other thing Valderrama does, it's challenging. Every golf shot you hit there, it's very little margin of error, so it does prep you mentally to get ready for a challenge that a major can be. Not to the fullest, but it's challenging enough to where you have to think about it quite a bit. With the wind obviously there's differences, but in those two aspects it helps.'

Rahm has enjoyed success in Ireland, including his first title on the European Tour at the Irish Open in 2017, which he won again two years later.

'From what I've played in Ireland, I think maybe the designs -- or I really don't know how to explain it best, but it just seems they use the contours in different ways,' the two-time major winner said. 'All the courses seem to be in a way where there's a few more dunes.'

Rahm is paired with defending champion Xander Schauffele and reigning U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun for the first two rounds.

--Field Level Media