by AUGUSTA, Ga. — Legendary words from the late, great Seve Ballesteros immediately floated through Jon Rahm’s brain as he left the first green Thursday at Augusta National.
“I miss, I miss, I miss, I do,” Ballesteros reportedly said, explaining how he nailed the 16th hole at the Masters in 1990.
Although the authenticity of the quote has been questioned over the years, it seemed very real to Rahm at the time. He had just opened his tournament with a double-bogey that started with a seemingly innocuous birdie putt from the middle of the green.
“(Seve) came to mind right away,” Rahm said. “It happens.”
It happens?
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It’s new for Rahm, the 28-year-old Spaniard who was often a powder keg of emotion earlier in his career when things went wrong on the golf course.
There was some anger about the double bogey, of course. He admitted to hitting a little harder off the tee on the No. 2. But what happened during the rest of his round reminded him why Rahm was one of the favorites for the first major championship of the year. .
When he’s locked up, he’s probably the best player in the world.
“If you’re going to make a double or four putt or whatever, you might as well be the first hole,” Rahm said. “You have 71 holes to catch him.”
He didn’t need a lot. Rahm enters the second round tied for the lead at 7 under par, which is pretty remarkable considering he scouted the field two shots right out of the gate.
But seven birdies and an eagle on his final 17 holes totaled what Rahm called the top three of his majors career, second only to Sunday at the 2021 US Open when he won his first and so far the only major title.
“In the past, I haven’t had my best start (at the Masters) and you have to swim against the tide a bit and catch shots throughout the week,” Rahm said. “So to be in this position where I’m already starting in a sense is very, very nice. But still three days to play. I have to go hole by hole and shot by shot and keep doing the right things.
Rahm didn’t come into the Masters with peak momentum. After an incredible start to the season with six consecutive top-10 finishes and three wins, he played poorly at the Arnold Palmer Invitational a month ago (including a pair of 76s), retired after the first round at The Players citing a stomach ailment and then lost to Billy Horschel and Rickie Fowler at the WGC-Dell Match Play.
Still, Rahm came into the tournament feeling there was nothing wrong with his game. And even after the first hole where he just missed the speed of a few putts, he focused on the positives. rather than leaving him mentally shaken – something a younger, less mature Rahm might not have been able to deal with.
“The shots were good. The readings were good. The turnover was good,” he said. “Once I kind of accepted that there was nothing to look at, I got to work and had 17 holes to make up for.”
Barring injury or the unexpected, Rahm is a good bet to win a Masters one of these days. He already has four top-10 finishes here in six appearances, and his game is tailor-made for this spot. If Rahm plays good golf and puts it where he wants on the tee, he could almost walk blindfolded to birdie opportunities on this course.
It’s just a matter of what week everything falls into place for him. Although Rahm shares the lead with Viktor Hovland and Brooks Koepka heading into the second round, a 7-under start makes him the favorite at this point.
“Obviously I’ve played very well this year,” Rahm said. “Maybe not the last tournaments, but I feel confident and I hope I can continue. There’s a long way to go and a lot of great players. I’m super happy with what I did today. I didn’t expect to hit a good 3 wood and a good second and four putts on the first hole, but (what happened next) is something I can be proud of.
Follow USA TODAY sports columnist Dan Wolken on Twitter @DanWolken
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