AUGUSTA, Georgia - Jon Rahm, the current LIV Golf individual rankings leader, endured a tough opening round at the Masters, finishing with a six-over-par 78 on Thursday. The Spaniard struggled to find his form on the Augusta National course, where he claimed victory last year.
Rahm, who boasts a win and three runner-up finishes in five LIV events this season, expressed frustration with his performance. "It's a hard golf course," Rahm stated. "When you have no feel with the swing whatsoever, it's just not an easy one."
The two-time major champion had a particularly difficult hole at the par-five 13th, turning a potential birdie into a double-bogey after an unexpected hook on his second shot landed in the azaleas. "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," he commented.
Rahm entered the week as one of the top contenders among the 10 LIV players in the field. He finished the first round tied for 73rd place, 11 shots behind co-leaders Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns. Despite the challenging start, Rahm acknowledged the significant amount of golf remaining and his past ability to rebound at Augusta.