“Good golf”, according to Jon Rahm, but results below expectations. The Basque golfer missed the cut on Friday in the PGA Championship, the second major of the season, and the red light has turned on again. It is the first time in five years that Rahm has been eliminated after the first two rounds in a Grand Slam event, since the 2019 PGA and after 18 consecutive cuts made in the majors. The slip occurs after his discreet participation in the Augusta Masters, when in the defense of the green jacket he dropped to 45th place with nine strokes over par, 20 behind champion Scottie Scheffler. He extends the longest period without titles since he made the jump to professional in June 2016. And he does not stop feeding the idea that his millionaire signing for LIV, the revolutionary Saudi League, has not suited him at all.
A return of -1 and another of +1 left Rahm tied with the Valhalla field, in Louisville (Kentucky). The other two Spaniards, Adrian Otaegui (even) and David Puig (+3), have also packed their bags, like a suffering Tiger Woods (+7).
“It’s the first time it’s happened to me, I’ve been playing very well and things aren’t going my way,” Rahm explained after his second round, especially unfocused to the left: up to 12 of his shots visited that part of the field on Friday, a sign of that something doesn’t add up. “I dont know what has happened. I don’t know if he was aiming wrong or if he aimed too much and then didn’t twist his body properly. “He has surprised me a lot,” he analyzed.
Rahm has not bitten into a drink since April 9, 2023, the Sunday of his coronation in Augusta. There are already 406 days of drought, when its previous longest parenthesis was 316, between the US Open in June 2021 and the Mexican Open the following May. That Mexican triumph gave way to a very productive stretch of seven wins in 11 months, including three American circuit crowns (Sentry, American Express and Genesis) in 42 days before his triumphant Masters. And from great brightness to blackout. In between, the signing for LIV that has made him the highest paid Spanish athlete in history thanks to a contract that could be around 500 million euros. “There are no excuses. Playing another competition has nothing to do with it,” he said in April in Augusta.
Despite his speech, it is difficult to think that his move has had no influence. The change has been capital. Rahm has altered his usual schedule, with most stops in the United States, to tour the world with the Saudi League; He now competes in a bubble of just over 50 players instead of facing the best on the American circuit; he enlists in three-day championships instead of four and with music on the field; And already in Augusta he acknowledged tensions when he reunited with his PGA Tour colleagues: “Some people won’t look me in the face.” Along the way, the European circuit has fined him 75,000 euros for each week in which he plays a LIV tournament that coincides with another on the DP World Tour. And his Saudi results (seven rankings in the top 10 in seven events held, unique with this record) do not count toward the world ranking and he has dropped to fifth place.
“I still support the American circuit, I am not on the other side. I hope to play there again. The PGA Tour has given me a lot and has allowed me to be who I am, I am not going to go against them,” Rahm said this week. And he made a wish: “A world tour with the best in the world together. We have the opportunity to take golf to another level.” Although the Basque continues to build bridges, that peace does not appear close on the horizon. Meanwhile, Rahm continues in low hours.
Exciting fight for the title
The second major of the season will experience an exciting day this Sunday. Morikawa and Schauffele are leaders with -15, compared to -14 for Theegala and -13 for Dechambeau, Lowry and Hovland, in a very tight fight for the PGA Championship. Lowry shot 62, like Schauffele on the first day, equaling the lowest record in the history of the greats.
Scheffler, after his arrest before the second round for skipping a police check, paid for the tension of that previous day and delivered a card of two over par to close with -7 on the total. The American completed his first round over par after 41 laps this course at par or better. A double bogeyand two bogeysIn the first four holes they condemned him.
PGA Championship Standings.
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