AUGUSTA, Georgia – Spanish golfer Jon Rahm entered this week’s Masters Tournament as one of the hottest players in professional golf, but his stellar LIV Golf form failed to translate to Augusta National on Thursday.
The defending Masters champion endured a brutal opening round, shooting 6-over-par 78 without recording a single birdie. Rahm appeared visibly frustrated as he navigated the challenging course where he claimed victory just one year ago.
“It’s a hard golf course,” said Rahm, reflecting on his disappointing performance at the venue where he captured the 2023 green jacket. “Some of the players might have been able to manage a respectable round, but when you have no feel with the swing whatsoever, it’s just not an easy one.”
The two-time major winner has been in exceptional form on the LIV Golf circuit this season, leading the individual standings with one victory and three second-place finishes across five tournaments. However, none of that momentum carried over to Thursday’s round.
Rahm’s troubles began early, accumulating four bogeys on the front nine. His round completely unraveled at the par-five 13th hole, where what should have been a birdie opportunity turned into a devastating double-bogey.
From 176 yards out, Rahm’s approach shot sailed into the azaleas, and despite an extensive search, his ball could not be located. After taking a penalty drop, he chipped his next shot to within 32 feet of the pin but required three putts to complete the hole.
“I still don’t know what happened, honestly,” Rahm explained regarding his wayward second shot at the 13th. “To get so lucky off the tee, to have an eight-iron in my hand, I don’t know, that ball came out 20 – about 10 yards left, 20 feet higher, and hooking in a way that I didn’t expect.”
“To make such a mistake from what could have been a good birdie look, it’s a big problem. It’s probably the part I’m the most upset at today.”
Among the 10 LIV Golf players competing in the 91-man field, Rahm was widely considered to have one of the strongest chances for success this week. Instead, he finished Thursday tied for 73rd place, trailing co-leaders Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns by 11 strokes.
Despite the disappointing start, Rahm remains optimistic about his chances, drawing on his experience of overcoming poor opening rounds at Augusta National. In 2023, he began his eventual championship run with a four-putt double bogey on the first hole. Last year, he opened with a 3-over 75 before ultimately finishing tied for 14th.
“I’ve done that a few times,” Rahm noted about his ability to recover from slow starts at the Masters.
“But it still sucks to be in this position, to need a Herculean effort the next two days to give myself a chance to maybe sniff having a chance to win. It’s just frustrating.”
