Jon Rahm needed Sunday to arrive for everything to be over. It hasn't been his week. In fact, it has been his worst at Augusta of the eight editions that he has competed in the Masters, where on only three occasions has he left the top-10. “It's a motivation to play better in the next game,” he confessed to the media when asked about the goal of recovering the green jacket. The Biscayan (+4 for a final +9) invests Scottie Scheffler, champion with -11 and winner in 2022. He helped Rahm wear the garment a year ago. Now the moment is reversed.
In the last round of the edition, in which he defended the green jacket, the Biscayan started in a big way. On the third hole he already had more birdies (two) than in the entire previous day (one). And on the 7th he made a spectacular shot from 73 meters in the middle of the fairway to make a birdie that lifted his spirits. “I thought that by hitting the fairway I had a chance of putting it in,” he confessed with relief to his brother, unconditionally on the other side of the rope, on the way to the 8th hole. After a bad drive Rahm fell into the pinnace area and logic said that he It was better to get closer to the bunker. But Jon is different and despite his poor performance this week he makes decisions and sees situations that no one perceives.
Then his card showed a -2 on the day, which allowed him to disguise the result, but he would not discount any hits again. He bogeyed the eighth flag. Once again the putting caused him many headaches on a day in which the drive improved compared to the first days. This time he didn't make any wind and it was a scorching sun that reigned in Augusta.
In the 10th everything went to waste. “She never usually bounces and on the approach she went off,” lamented Barrika's, who saw how her ball, at the height of the hole, ran down the hill. He took a double bogey that was like a slab and was followed by another bogey at the start of Amen Corner. Four holes later, from -2 it went to +2. Demolition Man. And on the admired 16, where holes in one have sometimes been seen after flying over the lake, he sent her into the water. The penalty stroke and another miss with the putt meant the second double bogey of the day for his final +9.
Olazabal, heroic
Clean slate. Thursday's +1 was followed by Friday's +4, which almost left him out of combat and eliminated any chance of victory. On Saturday he completed the course over par and the objective on Sunday was to climb positions to leave Augusta with a good taste in his mouth. But another devastating +4 arrived for a total of 297 strokes, five above his worst historical record in the Masters, corresponding to the 2022 edition. Then he was tied for 27th place, while now he falls to 45th.
After his erratic defense of the title at Augusta, Rahm will face two LIV tournaments before the PGA Championship. The second 'major' of the course, where he was fourth in 2018 and eighth in 2021, the only times he finished in the top ten -last year he fell to 50th place-, will be held from May 16 to 19 at Valhalla Golf Club (Louisville, Kentucky). The Biscayan, who has never played there, will also go to Oceania for the first time. The Australian city of Adelaide will host the sixth LIV tournament between April 26 and 28. A week later, the one from Barrika will travel to Singapore.
It is at least striking that José María Olazabal, at 58, has signed the same card as Jon Rahm, 29 and one of the best players on the planet. The Gipuzkoan has completed a spectacular weekend and on the final day he has performed above par. Spectacular numbers that are not signed by even some of the top-10. “I am very happy with how I have been in the four rounds, with how I have maintained my composure on the field, I have been intelligent when it came to playing certain shots and in that sense I am very happy,” analyzed the Gipuzkoan, who ended up injured.
This is how the man from Hondarribia explained it: «He gave me a jerk on the second blow of the 5th and… fatal. I have taken an anti-inflammatory that Camilo (Villegas, his party partner) gave me, but nothing. Especially with the driver, when I had to swing aggressively I couldn't move. I did what I could, I defended myself well and until that moment I was delighted… he had played good golf, he had only made a silly mistake on the 7th, and I was happy. I just hope it's not a fiber breakage or anything like that, because it would make me very angry to have it stop right now, when I'm playing the best golf in recent times.
Final classification
1. Scottie Scheffler -11
2. Ludvig Aberg -7
3. Collin Morikawa -5
4. Tommy Fleetwood -4
– Max Homa -4
6. Cameron Smith -2
– Bryson DeChambeau -2
8. Xander Schauffele -1
45. Jon Rahm +9
45. José María Olazabal +9
61. Sergio García (didn't make the cut) +7
#Rahm #Augusta #signs #worst #card #truth
