Last year’s winner Jon Rahm is one of the top favorites for The Masters Tournament 2024, but the Spaniard struggled with the conditions on the first day. Rahm made a few mistakes on the back nine in particular.
Jon Rahm over par after the first round at The Masters Tournament 2024
After the start of the first day had already been postponed by more than two hours due to a thunderstorm, the players had to contend with the wind despite the sunshine. Jon Rahm was no exception.
The Spaniard got off to a good start and recorded his first birdie on hole 3, but fell back to even par straight away. Nevertheless, Rahm played his way to two under par on the first half of the course until the problems began. On the second half of the course, the wind had become stronger and stronger and Rahm had to record another bogey on the par-4 10th. After losing another shot on the 14th, Rahm briefly gained another stroke before having to record a final bogey on the 18th. At one over par, Rahm is already a few shots behind the leader Bryson DeChambeau, who leads the field at seven under par.
Jon Rahm: “It’s a difficult golf course”
In his post-round interview, Jon Rahm reflected on his first round as the reigning Masters champion, acknowledging the challenges of Augusta National. “It’s a difficult golf course. That’s all I can say. It’s not easy,” he remarked. “You’re not really having the luxury out there of being able to miss shots, especially tee shots.” Rahm expressed disappointment with his performance on the back nine, admitting, “Unfortunately on that back nine I missed a few too many shots. Never really in a good position to give myself the best chance for birdies and ended up with what could have been a little bit better of a score. It’s just too bad. Bad swings are bad swings, but I think 4 and 17 could have been avoided. Those two three-putts could have been avoided.”
When asked about his surprise at the low scores, Rahm’s response was mixed. “Yes and no,” he said. “There’s always somebody who seems to come out on Thursday and shoot 7-under no matter the conditions.”
Jon Rahm makes a 14-foot putt to return to one under par. #themasters pic.twitter.com/jxROlkYMy0
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2024