There isn’t a golfer on the planet who can’t empathize with the misfortune that befell Jon Rahm on Saturday at the Masters. It very likely derailed any opportunity he had to become the fourth Spaniard to win a green jacket.
A mud ball in the fairway led to an errant second shot on the long, 570-yard uphill par-5 eighth hole. It left Rahm with only one real option – a safe punch through the opening between a couple trees and into the proper fairway. A textbook plan for a likely up-and-down to save par.
Except Rahm’s ball started too far right, ricocheted off a pine tree and bounced 90 degrees to the left into some nearby bushes.
It was the sort of botched shot expected during your regular Saturday morning group. Not from the No. 2 player in the world.
Rahm patiently seethed while he waited for a ruling. He took his drop and wound up with a double-bogey – only the second time in 14 rounds at Augusta that he’s failed to make par of better there. That one errant stroke knocked Rahm off his game and led to a third-round 72 that left him disconsolate and angry with himself.
“How would I describe? Pretty awful,” Rahm said. “I mean, playing good golf, got a great mud ball on 8, a great mud ball on 18, and I didn’t make a single putt. No way I can be happy about it.”
Rahm will start the final round tied for seventh at 9-under par, seven shots behind leader Dustin Johnson. He will need a historic comeback to win, one that exceeds the six-stroke advantage that Greg Norman held – and blew to Nick Faldo - in 1996.
“Really far back to start (Sunday), that’s all I can say,” Rahm said. “I’ve got to hope to shoot a miracle score to have a chance."
Rahm was trending the right way early on Saturday after making a birdie at the short par-4 third hole, where his drive left him with a 53-yard approach and a 15-footer that he knocked in.
Rahm parred his way through Amen Corner and saved par on the par-five 13th hole after his second shot just cleared the creek and stayed on the bank. He followed that disappointment – the first time this week he hasn’t birdied the hole - by making back-to-back birdies at No. 14 and 15. Rahm rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt on the unpretentious par-4 14th and two-putted from the collar of the par-5 15th.
There was a final bit of drama at the 18th. His tee shot found the first fairway bunker and Rahm’s approach sailed wide left and settled 53 yards away from the hole location. He pitched to within eight feet, but missed the putt for par.
The 72 broke a streak of nine consecutive under-par rounds at Augusta National.
“The golf course was there for scoring,” Rahm said. “I was playing good and couldn’t take advantage of anything. That’s all I can say. Fought my (rear) off at the end to try to salvage an under-par round and I couldn’t. Hit some decent drives down the stretch – besides 17 – and couldn’t really get it done. Simple as that.”
Rahm had only one birdie on the par-5 holes on Saturday; he played them in 3-under par the two previous rounds and had an eagle at No. 2 on the first day. He is 6-under on the par 5s this week, even with Saturday’s double-bogey at No. 8.
The day began much brighter. Rahm returned early Saturday to complete his second round. He started by rolling in a five-foot birdie on the 13th hole. Rahm had marked his place on the green when play was suspended because of darkness on Friday. He had a nice chip-in to save par at the 15th hole and keep his bogey-free round intact.
“It’s the type of shot where I’m just looking to start it on the right line and land it on the green because the ball will get to the hole and hopefully finds it,” he said. “And it did.”
Rahm finished the second round with a 66, pushing him into a five-way tie at nine-under.
The 66 was one shot off his career-best at Augusta National and kept alive his dream of winning the title the week of his birthday – Rahm turned 25 on Tuesday – and on the 40th anniversary of the victory by fellow Spaniard Seve Ballesteros.
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