Jon Rahm is there again. Once more fully involved in the fight to win at LIV Golf Singapore with 36 holes to play. The Barrika golfer carded a 68 on Friday, three under par, to sit at seven under in second place on the leaderboard, three shots behind Bryson DeChambeau, and he did so while sending a message as clear as it was powerful: his game is a little better in every area than in the last two years
Rahm conveyed very positive sensations after a very solid round, with a lot of control and a high level from tee to green, although with the feeling that he could even have got more out of his round. “I felt very good. I started great on the first two holes. I didn’t hit many bad shots, nor many bad swings today,” he explained. In fact, he pointed out only three clear mistakes all day: “The only really bad ones were the second shot on the 3rd, the tee shot on the 7th and perhaps also the second shot on the 13th”
Beyond those details, the balance was frankly good. “It was a day when I struck it really well, I hit a lot of fairways, but in that run of pars I wasn’t able to capitalise,” he summed up. Rahm ran together eleven consecutive pars, a sequence that stopped him getting even closer to the lead, despite creating enough opportunities to do so. “I had three very good chances, on 8, 14 and 16, and maybe another one a bit further from the clearest putting areas, but still makeable putts from about six metres that didn’t go in. It could have been better, but I played a really good round of golf”
The final birdie at the 18th reinforced that sense of a job well done and overflowing confidence. “Finishing with a great birdie at 18 leaves a good feeling. It’s still very good golf, I played very well from tee to green, and I hope to repeat it at the weekend,” he said
The most interesting part of his appearance, in any case, came when he was asked about his great start to the season and whether there was any particular aspect of his game that had surprised him. Rahm was very clear. He didn’t talk about surprise, but about a reward for the work. “I wouldn’t say I’m surprised. I worked a lot in the preseason. It’s simply been nice to see everything translating so well on the course,” he stated
And he finished with a phrase that explains perfectly the moment he is going through: “I’d say, in general, that everything is a little better than last year, and perhaps also than two years ago”. He didn’t speak of a revolution, nor drastic changes, but of a global improvement, subtle but decisive. “Everything is a bit… not a lot, but a bit better, and in one or two strokes per tournament, even per round, that makes an enormous difference”
Rahm feels very strong from tee to green, believes he is generating more than enough and understands that the difference may simply be that a few more putts drop. “Today I made three under par and I really didn’t hole many putts. If I keep striking good putts, making good swings and giving myself chances, I’m doing more than enough to have a great opportunity,” he warned
His speech gives off optimism, confidence and calm. Also a very clear view of his value in this sport. “I probably always feel more comfortable knowing I’ve played well than if I haven’t, but I’ve holed 60-metre putts, because that’s not going to happen every day. Good ball-striking can’t be faked”. That is precisely Rahm’s main argument right now in Singapore: he is genuinely playing well. And that, with two rounds to go, is always a very serious threat
The big unknown in Singapore right now is the sky. The Basque made it clear that much of what happens on Saturday and Sunday will depend on the weather. “A storm could come in today, it could be tomorrow morning. We don’t know what’s going to happen,” he explained
Rahm recalled that Sentosa drains wonderfully, “probably better than 99.9 per cent of courses”, but he also warned that a strong storm lasting several hours could change the tournament. “If a several-hour storm falls as can happen here, then everything will get a bit softer. Making the greens somewhat more accessible would, obviously, mean more birdies,” he noted
In any case, his plan doesn’t change much. If the course softens, he’ll adapt. And if not, he’ll stick to the same path. That is the perfect summary of Jon Rahm’s situation at LIV Golf Singapore: he’s in the fight, he feels strong, he believes his game is better than in the last two years and he looks to the weekend with optimism. It remains to be seen what role the storms will play. What seems clear is that, at this level, Rahm once again has a new chance to win very close at hand
