Before people see the champion, they often want to know the person behind the name. That story usually begins far away from the spotlight. Pro golfer Jon Rahm’s life was shaped by the place he came from, the values he grew up with, and the beliefs that stayed with him. That is where his story truly starts.

Where is Jon Rahm from, and what is Jon Rahm’s ethnicity? 

Rahm was born on November 10, 1994, in Barrika, a small Basque fishing village near Bilbao, Spain. He was raised by Edorta Rahm and Ángela Rodríguez, and grew up in a supportive, modest home, often practicing a wide variety of sports—including soccer, canoeing, and even Kung Fu. He finally put all his focus on golf after witnessing the 1997 Ryder Cup, which inspired him.

So his ethnicity is Spanish, and he is deeply proud of his Basque heritage. Along with that, he also has some Swiss ancestry from his father’s side. Basques are a tiny minority in Europe, a group of people whose home country, called Euskal Herria, is a narrow part of land the size of New Hampshire in southern France and northern Spain. However, they do not have a truly recognized nation of their own and haven’t had one for thousands of years. 

But the history and culture are unique, and a remarkable fact about them, as Mark Kurlansky noted in his book The Basque History of the World, is that they have survived everything. Despite not being part of such a huge population, they protected themselves from being assimilated and annihilated. They are the only people left from before the “Europeans” that exist today, and from whom so many Americans are descended. That makes them the oldest people in Europe, with the oldest language.

What is Jon Rahm’s nationality and religion? 

Jon is Catholic. He was born and raised in Spain and brought up in a Catholic family, and attended Catholic schools. He has mentioned in several interviews that his faith is extremely important to him and is the foundation of his life. Moreover, Jon Rahm has attributed miraculous shots to divine intervention, mentioning “Seve, God, someone right there or both” after a dramatic escape from trees. 

Which high school did Jon Rahm go to? 

Jon was born with a clubfoot (right foot turned inward), requiring several procedures, which left him with a shorter right leg and limited ankle mobility, impacting his unique, modern swing. However, that did not stop him from pursuing his career.

He attended Arizona State University (ASU) from 2012 to 2016, where he played for the Sun Devils men’s golf team. Recruited from Spain by coach Tim Mickelson, Rahm won 11 collegiate tournaments, second only to Phil Mickelson in school history. He arrived with limited English, learning the language in Tempe while becoming a first-team All-American. His hard work has definitely paid off, as he is one of the best golf players on the PGA Tour today.