Jon Rahm was a little miffed that his father literally dropped him at the airport. A flight to the United States without any prior language skills meant Rahm was more isolated than ever. Even his pop later admitted that the Spaniard was the lone European in the English class. But a few years later, Rahm was thanking his father for finding his beau, Kelley Cahill, at Arizona State University. 

Another four years, and Rahm was walking down the aisle with his American girlfriend. By that time, Rahm had mastered the language, and his words carried the weight of wisdom. “If I had a gun to my head and had to choose between having only one or the other, I wouldn’t pick golf… I’d choose family every time,” said the Spaniard in 2019. Why does Rahm feel so blessed to have Cahill by his side? How did it all start? 

Kelley Cahill shares the same wavelength as Jon Rahm

Cahill was an athlete herself. She was on the track and field team at Arizona State University. She finished eighth in the javelin at the ASU Invitational, noticing a distance of 33.49m. But her best performance came a year prior at the PVCC Outdoor in javelin throwing 34.51m. 

Rahm, however, refrained from trying his hand at his partner’s sport. The Spaniard admitted he didn’t have the overhand power that Kelley possessed, and moreover, he was on his way to becoming the No. 1 amateur in the world. So, to avoid injury, he had to pass on the opportunity. 

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But Cahill did introduce Rahm to tennis. Or so she thought. The ASU alum used to play tennis for Chaparral High School in Stonegate, Colorado. Apparently, she was under the impression that golfers aren’t athletes and didn’t know that Rahm played a variety of sports in his childhood, including Basque pelota. 

So, Rahm was good in both forehand and backhand, which impressed her. Also, she was a little mad knowing that the Spaniard was actually pretty good at the sport that was her forte in childhood. “He was so good. I was so upset. I was actually mad for a day or two,” Cahill joked to San Diego Tribue later. However, she did teach Rahm how to serve.

The first encounter is still debated by Rahm and his wife

A Halloween meet started off with a great friendship, which eventually culminated in a blossoming relationship. By 2016, they were hitting it together. At that time, Jon Rahm attended his first Super Bowl with Cahill. But Rahm can’t recall when their friendship segued into a full-fledged relationship. 

His first date could’ve been that football match. Or the time when they went to Zendejas, a modest restaurant with great margaritas that Cahill loved. In an interview with Golf Digest, the reigning Masters champion said, “We have some disagreement about this—we don’t know if that was our first official date or if it was at a football game.” Whatever the first date may be, they didn’t dally before getting married. 

A serene church wedding was waiting for Jon Rahm’s wife

The Spaniard didn’t wait too long before putting forth the marriage proposal. And he never shied away from admitting that in public as well. Who would when they designed the ring themselves? By that time, Cahill had been spotted alongside Rahm a number of times. But the admission came quite spontaneously at the PGA Championship. 

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Speaking at the press conference after the first round, Jon Rahm admitted he had proposed to Kelley Cahill before the US Open. Rahm designed the ring with the help of fellow PGA Tour pro Brian Stuard’s wife. “It’s supposed to look like a crown with engraving inside. I had a big part in it. It wasn’t exactly what she wanted, but she loves it. It’s a little more personal like that.” By that time, Rahm had been living together with Kelley for two years and was “100 percent sure she was going to say yes.”

Although Rahm said they were taking it one step at a time, very few expected them to wait for over a year. The Spaniard married her long-time girlfriend on December 13, 2019, in a private ceremony near his Bilbao residence. 

Rahm was looking forward to the big day. Speaking to the reporters a few days before at the Bahamas, the 11-time PGA Tour winner said, “I think when I see those doors open and see her walking down the aisle for the first time, I think it’s going to be what I’m looking forward to the most, that first moment of seeing her walk down the aisle.”

Rahm and Kelley welcomed their firstborn, Kepa Cahill Rahm, on April 3, 2021. A year later, the couple welcomed their second son, Eneko, in August 2022. At last year’s Masters, Kelley Cahill, Eneko, and Kepa appeared at Augusta looping for Rahm in the par 3 challenge. They were also spotted vacationing in Hawaii this January.

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