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Rahm didn’t start The Masters how he wanted as windy conditions made the course even more challenging.
Jon Rahm is looking to become the first repeat champion at The Masters since Tiger Woods nearly two decades ago. He did not get off to the start he had hoped as Augusta National showed its teeth Thursday.
Rahm struggled throughout his opening round to post a 1-over 73, including bogeying three of his final five holes. He sits eight shots back of fellow LIV golfer, Bryson DeChambeau who went crazy low with a 65.
Following his round, the Spaniard showed a deep understanding of just how difficult this course can be.
“It’s not easy,” Rahm explained. “It’s a difficult golf course. That’s all I can say.”
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The reigning Masters champion was very brief and appeared a bit frustrated, keeping his time with the media very short.
Augusta National is indeed a very tricky golf course. Between all of the undulations in the fairways, the incredibly sloped green and attack angles into some of the pin placements, it is always a challenge getting around this track.
Of course, things were ratcheted up Thursday with the weather.
A heavy rainfall caused a near three-hour delay in the morning. Even as the rain subsided, the howling winds had a large impact on Rahm and the rest of the field.
But Rahm is not using that as an excuse.
“I remember my first ever Masters on 17, it was the type of day like this, windy, very difficult. As a group we struggled. I think I scratched something around even par, and then I looked up leaderboard and saw Charley Hoffman was 7-under. It happens. You can hit the good shots, but you need to play really good golf to shoot low here.”
Despite hitting some solid shots, the two-time major holder simply did not hit enough of them to appear anywhere near the first page of the leaderboard.
Nevertheless, he appeared optimistic shortly afterward in Butler Cabin with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt.
Rahm tees off Friday at 1:36pm ET alongside Matt Fitzpatrick and Nick Dunlap.
Kendall Capps is the Senior Editor of SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social media platforms.
