Jon Rahm had a day to forget at Augusta National as he opened his account at The Masters with a six-over 78.
Rahm found himself T73 in the leaderboard after his opening-round struggles, worryingly close to the very bottom of the pile.
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He can, of course, redeem himself at The Masters, but needs to start off his second round the exact opposite way.
It was a very surprising display from the Spaniard, with Rahm named as a favorite for The Masters before the tournament got underway.
And that was far from surprising given his blistering start to his LIV Golf season, but he’s now been hit with a huge setback after suffering three unwanted career records on Thursday.
Jon Rahm suffers three unwanted career records on day one of The Masters
Rahm had previously played 36 rounds at The Masters, with a career-high of 77, which he has just outshot by one.
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Moreover, he’s just gone through an entire round at Augusta National without carding a single birdie for the very first time, as per Jamie Kennedy on X.
The Spaniard, who is first place in LIV Golf, finished a nightmare day with 13 pars, four bogeys and one double bogey.
And widening the disappointment to his broader career, he has never shot higher in his 134 rounds at majors.
Rahm’s disastrous display was also highlighted by a rank of 82 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, and 89th out of 91st in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Jon Rahm’s big struggles at Augusta National are really surprising
Rahm’s massively disappointing performance comes in stark contrast to his 2026 season on LIV Golf.
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He has once again been in formidable form on the Saudi-backed tour, failing to finish outside the top five in his five events so far.
His victory at LIV Golf Hong Kong has helped fire him to the top of the individual standings, while he leads the way for both total birdies hit and greens in regulation %.
But very surprisingly, the two-time major champion has thus fair failed to bring that momentum to Augusta, where he clinched the green jacket just three years ago.
His blushes have, however, been spared by his LIV Golf counterparts, who in general had a truly terrible day in Georgia.
Like Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau is facing a missed cut this week, with Sergio Garcia enjoying the best round for a LIV Golf player with his even-par 72.
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It does, of course, pave the way for a debate around the LIV Golf tour and just how much it can really prepare players for major championships, particularly The Masters.
But that will be of little importance right now for Rahm, who will be desperate for an electric start on day two, where he continues alongside PGA Tour duo Chris Gotterup and Ludvig Aberg.
Read more:
Jon Rahm admits what upset him most after finishing six over par on day one at The Masters, ‘It’s a big problem’
Sir Nick Faldo takes aim at LIV Golf as Jon Rahm struggles on day one at The Masters
Golf fans have the answer to Bryson DeChambeau’s struggles at The Masters
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