Jon Rahm becoming Ryder Cup icon just like his idol, Seve Ballesteros, did

Every two years, when it’s Ryder Cup season, Seve Ballesteros is omnipresent for Team Europe.

Images of Ballesteros, some accompanied by famous quotes of his, adorn the walls of the European team room like wallpaper.

It’s all there as inspiration because Ballesteros built a reputation as not only the greatest Spanish player ever, but one of the greatest European Ryder Cuppers of all time, having compiled a 20-12-5 career record.

No one reveres Ballesteros with more passion than Jon Rahm, the 30-year-old Spaniard who calls Seve his idol.

There will come a time — and it’s coming fast — when Rahm is that figure that Ballesteros represents. Rahm will be the idol of players coming up in future generations.

He’s become an unbeatable force for Europe. In this Ryder Cup, he’s 3-1 entering the Sunday singles matches, which gives him a 10-4-3 career record.

He won both of his matches (foursomes in the morning and four-ball in the afternoon) Friday and split his matches Saturday. He’s 9-1-2 in his last 12 matches with a partner.

Rahm’s loss alongside Sepp Straka to J.J. Spaun and Xander Schauffele was his first loss in a match with a partner since his first Ryder Cup, in 2018.

European captain Luke Donald led off with Rahm in Friday’s foursomes to set a tone for his team. He and Tyrrell Hatton smoked Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas on Friday, and he and Hatton defeated Patrick Cantlay and Schauffele in the afternoon.

“I like Jon as a leader,’’ Donald said of his reasoning for batting him leadoff.

In Rahm’s first of four Ryder Cups, the 2018 captain, Thomas Bjorn, called him “probably the most exciting player to come into the game since Rory [McIlroy]. He’s powerful and strong and has a great attitude to go wherever he wants to go in this game.’’

Rahm has taken himself to a place where he’ll be forever viewed as a European Ryder Cup legend, the same way Ballesteros is viewed.

A beautiful thing about Rahm is his humble nature despite being one of the top players in the world.

After his win with Hatton on Friday, Rahm was asked about his sterling Ryder Cup record and he deflected praise, saying, “I can’t take all the credit. I’ve had really good partners. It’s a team. I’ve been fortunate to have really good teammates.’’

After his win with Hatton on Saturday morning, Rahm said, “It’s a joy to be able to play with [Hatton]. We’ve shared the golf course for many, many holes, and it’s absolutely incredible watching him play. And what he did on the greens today was nothing short of spectacular.’’

Hatton praised Rahm, saying, “He’s an incredible player, and a good person to walk the fairways with. He pulls out some unbelievable shots at very special times.’’

The most special shot Rahm hit on Saturday was a 50-foot chip-in for birdie on No. 8 in the foursomes match to give him and Hatton a 1-up lead they never relinquished.

“I was honestly just trying to put it on the green, hopefully hit it somewhere online, somewhere with the right distance,’’ he said, “and it came out absolutely perfect.’’

Perfect is a pretty good way to describe what Rahm has been for Team Europe — this week and for the entirety of his Ryder Cup career to date.

If he hasn’t already established himself as the modern-day Ballesteros, he’s very close to accomplishing that. It may not be long before images of Rahm are plastered all over the Team Europe walls and star players still to come will wax poetic about him being their idol.