Jon Rahm states if it’d be a bigger honour to win the Claret Jug or the Green Jacket

Jon Rahm has suggested that he views winning The Open Championship and lifting the Claret Jug as the highest honour in the game.

Rahm is, of course, halfway towards completing the Career Grand Slam having won both The Masters and the US Open at this stage of his career.

He finished second at the PGA Championship back in May. Meanwhile, The Open Championship is the only major where the Spaniard has finished both second and third.

Jon Rahm says whether winning The Masters or The Open is the higher honour

It is one of the most divisive debates in golf – whether The Masters or The Open Championship is the major that golf fans would love most to win.

Those from Spain have a deep connection to both events, with Seve Ballesteros winning three Opens and The Masters twice. Jose Maria Olazabal, Sergio Garcia, and Rahm himself have also triumphed at Augusta National.

Only the United States of America has seen more players slip into the Green Jacket over the years.

However, speaking on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, Rahm suggested that nothing would mean more to him on the course than triumphing at The Open Championship.

“I personally, with no offence to anybody in the world of golf, to me, the highest honour in golf has always been the Claret Jug. I think as a European, that’s the feel I get. And I’ve talked to multiple major champions, and the ones that have had the fortune of walking down 18 knowing they’ve won the Claret Jug said that walk to the green is unlike anything else,” he said.

“I would say also if you get lucky enough to win at St Andrews, I think that’s the pinnacle of golf, of individual golf, but the team is different. Outside of St Andrews, there’s a few golf courses that always stand out, and Birkdale is one of them.”

Jon Rahm issues his verdict on Royal Birkdale after his first practice round

Rahm finished tied for 44th when Royal Birkdale last hosted The Open back in 2017. However, the venue has undergone a number of changes since then.

Several holes have been removed and replaced. And of course, there is very little links golf on the calendar of most tours.

Rahm did brilliantly to bounce back from an awful start at the Scottish Open last week. And speaking ahead of Thursday’s opening round, the 31-year-old offered his verdict on how Birkdale is playing.

“Difficult. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a golf course this firm. I think Carnoustie might have been the last time it was this difficult. St Andrews was firm, but the greens stayed soft. So I think this could be a very, very, very unique Open,” he said.

“It equalises everybody. There were loads of holes because of the wind, four, five iron into off the 10th fairway, five irons off of 11, another five iron on 16. 16 was nearly reachable today. This is off the tee by the way. You can try hitting drivers, but they’ve definitely made it narrower and longer. Downwind, you need to be very smart, and into the wind, you just need to hit really high quality shots. I haven’t seen the front nine yet, but it’s shaping up to be a very special championship.”

It seems inevitable that Rahm will win The Open Championship at some stage during his career. It would provide a big boost of confidence if he was able to put himself in the mix in Southport.