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| - Spain's Jon Rahm enters the Masters with confidence and inspiration, seeking his first major title 40 years after his idol Seve Ballesteros first donned the green jacket. Rahm hit a hole-in-one on Monday at Augusta National's par-3 fourth hole and celebrated his 26th birthday Tuesday feeling as well as he can about the state of his golf game. "I can't lie," Rahm said. "I'm feeling pretty confident." Rahm, the world number two behind Dustin Johnson, won the Memorial in July to become briefly world number one, then beat Johnson in a playoff to win the BMW Championship in August. He settled for a share of second at last month's Zozo Championship in his last Masters tuneup, but played well enough to boost his attitude for this week's Augusta National showdown. "I hit it about as good as I (can) hit it tee to green really in the tournament, especially on Sunday and the weekend," Rahm said. "(I am) Happy where I'm at, and I think the best way I can explain it, I'm simply happy. Outside the golf course, I'm happy, within the limits of this pandemic, and I'm also happy on the golf course. "I've been putting in the work and golfing well. Hopefully something special happens this weekend." Rahm was fourth in 2018 in his second Masters start and shared ninth last year, hungering for a special win on the same layout where compatriots Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia have tasted major triumph. "It would mean a lot," Rahm said. "There's such Spanish history of champions here, with three great champions and three idols of mine, that I would love to be able to add my name to that list. "This is the 40th anniversary of Seve's first win here at Augusta. You have Ollie -- five green jackets go out to Spain. Hopefully I can be the sixth." He won't have Garcia to challenge. The 2017 Masters champion tested positive for Covid-19 after playing last week in Houston and withdrew from the Masters on Monday. "A little bit sad that Sergio is not going to be able to be part of this," Rahm said. "My heart goes out to him. I know he had some bad times with Covid, losing family members, and now he's got it, with symptoms, as well, apparently. Knowing how special this week is for him, hoping a speedy recovery for him." Rahm is too young to have seen most of the Spanish wins at the Masters except on video. "My earliest recollection of the event was Tiger's chip in in 2005. I was 10," he said. The biggest impact Ballesteros had on his life was captaining Europe's win at the 1997 Ryder Cup, which inspired the Rahm family to start golfing. "I owe everything to that week. I'm here because of that week," Rahm said. "I try to always make my part and hopefully still grow the game in Spain and around the world." The mystique of Augusta National hits Rahm every time he enters the grounds. "Still amazes me every time I come," he said. "I think what surprises me is I always get the same feel as I did the first time when I go down Magnolia Lane. "Every day this week, I'm still going to have those butterflies in my stomach because it's such an iconic place for golfers." Rahm has also learned patience pays off at Augusta. "You don't need to play perfect golf to win at Augusta National," he said. "You just need to stay true to yourself and play the best you can with what you have at the moment and not be too ambitious. "I've erred being too aggressive in the past and I've made birdies, but I've also made some big numbers." js/bsp
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