Jon Rahm has come a long way since finishing 17th as a then 15 year old in the 2009 European Young Masters at Le National GC to returning now seven year slater as the World No 11  to tee up in the HNA Open de France.

Rahm was competing off a plus 1.8 handicap when he represented Spain.

But much water has since flowed pass Notre Dame since Rahm shot scores of 80, 73, 72 on the famed Albatross Course to this week with the now U.S. based Rahm making his European Tour debut on European soil but having already banked a cool $US 4.4m in just his 16 events this year on his home PGA Tour.

“I’d like to say my journey on The European Tour started in México, although it is the first time I’m playing a European Tour event in Europe, right. I’m obviously very excited for many possible reasons,” he said.

“This is probably one of the best golf courses I’ve ever played. I played it when I was 14, 15 years old in the European Young Masters in 2009 and it’s changed quite a bit since then, and so have I, so I really wanted to come back.

“Being one of the Rolex Series events, being one of the most important events of the year, I wanted to come here and hopefully show my support and try and play as best as I can.

“I cannot remember where I finished back in 2009 in the individual but as a team we finished in third place. We got the Bronze Medal”,

In his very short time in the pro ranks Rahm has already made a huge impression eagling the final hole to capture a first PGA Tour event earlier this year in winning the Farmers Insurance Open.

Then just a fortnight before the Masters, Rahm fought back from a near hopeless position and give World No. 1 Dustin Johnson a big shock in the final of the WGC  Dell Match-Play Championship in Texas.

Weeks earlier Rahm was third in the WGC-Mexico Championship and in between the Masters and the U.S. Open has recorded a fourth and a second.

And Rahm, who could easily play front row given his big frame, will tee up on next year’s host Ryder Cup venue this week and just the feisty character Thomas Bjorn will be looking for to take it right to the 2018 visiting Americans.

“I’ve been amazing myself”, he said.

“I felt like if I stopped to think about what I was doing, I was going to miss something else. It was a little bit quicker than I thought to do everything, but I’m glad it worked out that way and I’m glad I’m able to play in Europe”.