Tuesday. First nine practice holes with public of the defending champion. Jon Rahm does not disappoint. He plays from 10 to 18 alongside Nicolai Hojgaard, one of his ‘de facto partners’ in the Ryder Cup, and already leaves one of those moments that one takes home and tells friends over a beer.
The match with Nicolai, one on one, is not a coincidence. They both sought it. They understand each other and have strengthened ties since what happened in Rome. They were eager to see each other again and they agreed on it. Smooth as silk. Good vibes.
Before going out to play, Jon has completed a ball session on the practice field that has left the public more than satisfied. He hit the ball very well and the fans have worn out their fingers trying to immortalize the champion’s strokes from Barrika on their cameras. You have to take advantage because from Thursday cameras are no longer allowed at Augusta National. From Monday to Wednesday is the little they allow.
Jon has displayed great golf on the nine holes, with just a couple of blemishes, the starts on holes 13 and 14. They were not good and the Spaniard did not take it well, however the public thanked him for what happened a little later…
It was on the 14th. His drive escaped to the right and the patrons, the name given to fans in Augusta, as they are considered in some way patrons who help maintain the tournament, began to salivate and nudge each other. Of course, they remembered perfectly what happened right on this same hole, in this same area, exactly one year ago, during the final round of the Masters.
Jon hit his worst shot of the day, went to the right and was left with a difficult angle, blocked by trees. He had no direct shot to the flag. He needed to take it out very much to the left and open it a lot. A very difficult shot at the moment the tournament was being decided. He did it fabulously with the 8 iron, so much so that it is the club he promised to leave in Augusta as a champion’s gift. “I still don’t understand how little that shot is talked about,” he lamented shortly after winning that Resurrection and glory Sunday.
Perhaps the shot was little commented on in Jon’s opinion, but it remained in the retina of all good fans, as today, 366 days later, seeing his ball in a very similar situation in the practice round, they reminded him and asked him to do it again. Something like the shot of the year 2.0. It should be said that the position of the ball was worse than last year, it was more in, worse placed and with a more difficult angle. However, Jon has done it again… He managed to get it to the green, leaving himself a birdie option and provoking the first big ovation of the week, a wonderful déjà vu.
A little later, to close his round, he signed a high-quality birdie on hole 18, one of the most resistant to him in Augusta. In fact, it is where he has his worst cumulative record (+5) in his career alongside the 4. He hit an exceptional start and his second shot lifted the public from their seats. Closed ovation. Two meters and birdie. That second shot also reminded of the third he hit last year after missing the start and which helped him close his victory avoiding the final bogey.
The defending champion starts by giving a show. From the first day.
