Jon Rahm (+1) quickly forgot that today he was playing his first competitive round at Augusta as the Masters champion. As soon as he arrived at the course, saw the gigantic trees swaying, he realised that it was not a day for sentimentality or emotions. It was time to grit his teeth, roll up his sleeves and fight. Especially when his game was not exactly brilliant.
Jon was trailing all day. He managed the first nine holes with the mastery of someone who has a green jacket in his wardrobe. His two under par score was an extraordinary loot, probably something above what his golf deserved. He really played holes 7 and 8 very well, both resolved with birdies, but in the rest, whether from the tee, the shot to the green or with the putter, he showed more shadows than lights.
Jon was not fine, and that on a day with this wind ends up being paid. He survived the first nine because he is very good and has a thousand resources, but from the 10th Uncle Sam came with the sales. He hit a bad second shot, missed the 11th tee off and was saved by a bounce off a tree, the 13th chip from the left of the green was not precise, he missed the 14th, 15th and 18th tee off. Too many mistakes on a course like Augusta and a windy day.
Jon himself was aware that he had not played well, that the swing was not the best of the afternoons. In fact, as soon as he signed the card and attended to the press, he went straight to the practice field to hit some balls and get good feelings under the watchful eye of his coach Dave Phillips. It is not usual for Rahm to hit balls after a round, it is in fact the demonstration that he needs to find something.
It is true, we already know how golf is, that he could also have pulled off a more than decent round if it were not for the two three-putts on the 4th and 17th, both very painful, in the first where it did not exist and in the second just after having gone under par again. In addition, he had a very good opportunity on the 15th that slipped away. If we put those three putts in the shaker, which is a lot to put, he would have saved more than the furniture with a round of 70.
Jon is a born fighter and does not throw in the towel. He is convinced that “yes, I am far, but there is still a lot”. But to cut the difference with the head and get into the fight on Sunday, he will need to recover his best golf. In his favour it must be said that last year he already signed a card of 73 strokes, like today’s, that was in the third round, and he ended up winning the tournament.
At least, he has the satisfaction of the special ovation he received on hole 12… “That was the only moment when it may have come to my mind that, indeed, I was the defending champion. It was very beautiful”.
