Tim Mickelson is invested in Jon Rahm. Has been for a while.
He recruited him sight unseen as a 17-year-old out of Barrika, Spain. He nurtured him as a two-time Ben Hogan Award-winner at Arizona State. His Sun Devils program rode him into the national spotlight.
Yet the decision to follow Rahm into his pro career as a coach-turned-agent was validated well before Sunday’s 61-foot eagle putt on Torrey Pines South’s 18th secured the 22-year-old Rahm’s first PGA Tour win in just the fifth start of his first fullseason.
“When he earned his card in Canada, he wasn’t excited about getting on the plane,” the 39-year-old Mickelson recalled of Rahm’s runner-upfinish in the RBC Canadian Open in July. “He knew that he had a chance to win and didn’t close it out. That’s when I said, you know what, I made the right career choice here because this kid just flat out wants to win.”
That decision became public weeks after Rahm turned pro in June and five years after Mickelson left his hometown job as the University of San Diego’s men’s golf coach to take the reins at Arizona State, both his and older brother Phil’s alma mater.
The gig in Tempe, Ariz., was a dream job.
But after two top-10 national finishes, Rahm’s ascent to world No. 1 amateur shifted Mickelson’s sights toward a post-coaching career he never imagined upon leaving behind a Toreros program that advanced to its first three NCAA national titles under his watch.
“Things just fell into place,” Mickelson said. “It was the right timing for me. I believed in him as a person and a player and it just felt like it was right.”
The younger Mickelson recalled feeling the same way upon first meeting his recruitat an amateur tournament in Stockholm, Sweden. He’d finished second only to discover an extra club in his bag upon returning to the hotel after play.
Rahm immediately reported the rules violation to his coach, disqualifying himself from the event.
“He could have gotten away with it,” Mickelson said. “I knew from that act that I had a quality kid.”
At Arizona State, Mickelson became a father figure as Rahm began work toward a communications degree – without much command of English, mind you. As he decided to turn pro with a degree in hand four years later, it only made sense, Rahm said, to invite Mickelson along for the ride.
“I kind of treated him as my dad in the States,” Rahm said. “Not quite my dad, right, but if I ever needed advice, I would go to him. If I was ever in trouble, I would go to him. I would never hide anything from him and that’s how it worked. Whenever I told him about if he wanted to (continue) to help me on my journey – walk it with me – I was just extremely flattered that he said yes.”
Of course, the decision wasn’t exactly out of left field.
Upon stepping down from his post in July, Mickelson said he wanted to pursue business opportunities outside the collegiate athletics world. Weeks later, after Rahm secured his tour card in Canada, Lagardere Unlimited Golf – Phil Mickelson’s agency – announced that Tim Mickelson was coming on as Rahm’s representative.
The funny thing is, thatagency is helmed by Steve Loy, who previously left his post as a coach at Arizona State to represent … yes, Phil Mickelson.
Naturally, the elder Mickelson got to know Rahm during his days at Arizona State. The two have even played a handful of practice rounds together over the years, with the five-time major winner admitting he struggled to keep up with the blossoming Rahm.
“I’ve played a couple of times with him,” Phil Mickelson said as Rahm was surging to the top of the leader board Sunday. “Let’s just say I will only be his partner from now on. I haven’t been able to beat him.”
No one was on Sunday, a win that Tim Mickelson predicted with a pre-tournament text to his protégé. After all, he’d seen his brother score well here and he’d seen Rahm score well at a lot of places.
“There aren’t many courses that don’t suit this kid,” Tim Mickelson said. “This one definitely does. That’s why I texted him Wednesday. I firmly believe this is the week that you’re going to get it done.
“You heard it here first.”
Being there for the first win – just off the green alongside Rahm’s father and girlfriend – was especially special for the coach-turned-agent.
“I’ve seen a few wins of my brothers’; I’ve seen Jon win tournaments before,” Mickelson said. “Knowing how badly he wanted to win a PGA Tour event, this was really special to be here at and to be inside the ropes to watch that putt go in, that was pretty cool.”
