A Jon Rahm has experienced a lot during the third round of the PGA Championship. He holed one from off the green on the 3rd hole. He signed his first birdie on the Green Mile. He hit a tree on the 9th and returned to the fairway. He hit a tree on the 11th hole and returned to the fairway. He hit a spectator on the head. He gave him a glove. He shared a hug with him. He had a brief conversation about football. His arm started to bleed. They put a bandage on it… But the most important thing that happened to him today is that he put himself in a position to win the PGA Championship. With the permission of Scottie Scheffler (-11), of course, the tournament’s clear leader after shooting 65.
Rahm signed his best ever round at Quail Hollow this Saturday. He delivered a fantastic card of 67 strokes and threw himself fully into the fight for victory. He has his third Major within reach and, incidentally, the chance to finally complete the Spanish golf Grand Slam. It’s the only major left to add to the red and yellow bag. A magnificent feeling that Rahm had been missing. Specifically, since the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, the man from Barrika hadn’t had such a clear opportunity to win a Major. It was about time. His happy face said it all. It’s his element. His habitat. What he loves most.
Rahm managed to put himself in position by maximising his golf. He didn’t play perfectly, nor did he need to. He himself said at the beginning of the week, “If there’s one thing I’ve learned in these ten years playing Majors, it’s that you don’t need to play perfectly to win tournaments.” Today he knew how to take advantage of every opportunity. He started very well with a textbook birdie on the 1st hole. He secured a good par on the 2nd and immediately achieved a bonus on the 3rd, holing a chip from off the green. By the way, many have been seen this week at Quail Hollow, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
He signed the start of the round he was looking for on moving day to push and push. He was more than notable from the tee and sensational with the putter. Devastating. The irons weren’t as sharp, but it wasn’t an easy day either. The wind appeared at the Charlotte colossus, and every shot was almost a flip of the coin. Never more aptly put. Strong wind and, above all, very changeable. It would rise, stop, and even change direction. Even so, he delivered two excellent shots to the green. One was the third on the 7th, given. The other, the second on the 16th, a metre away. In this gallery of exceptional shots, you have to include, of course, the tee shot on the 14th, a short par 4. He left it two and a half metres for eagle. It’s the only reasonable putt that got away from him.
It was a round built shot by shot. Chiselled with hammer blows from the tee and finished with soft caresses with the putter. He also had his share of luck, like the ball that bounced on the 9th or the one on the 11th, although he couldn’t take advantage of the latter. “I told him if he had been European, he would have finished it better and left it closer to the hole,” Jon joked. Let it be known that nothing happened to the spectator, quite the opposite, he got the joy of his life. The ball strike didn’t seem to hurt him, and he also got a signed glove from Jon, a brief chat, and a hug. Headfirst into the fight for the PGA. “It’s incredible that it didn’t hurt him. I’d bet a hand he’s Basque or has some connection,” he smiled.
The arm wound was the other anecdote. Nothing serious. He doesn’t even know exactly what happened. A small scab lifted, he picked it off, and it started to bleed. “Suddenly I saw the glove had blood, the shaft, and I put the bandage on more than anything so it wouldn’t be scandalous, but nothing more,” he explained. In fact, after signing the card, he removed the dressing.
Rahm finished with a bogey on the 17th, after slicing the tee shot to the right and failing the recovery. Not even that bogey was going to take away his smile. He missed that feeling of being in contention to win a Major. It’s true that it feels like he’s a bit tight with his game, especially around the green. For now, he’s fixing it with the putter. We’ll see if it’s enough for tomorrow. The best thing is that Jon is clear that you can win without being at your best, and this Saturday at Quail Hollow is the best demonstration. If the putter stays hot, all that’s left is to dream…
