Jon Rahm came to the Masters as one of the favourites but faced questions after his performance. The two-time major champion hoped to finish with a flourish at Augusta National.
Rahm’s Struggles at Augusta
Rahm’s play at the Masters did not reflect his expectations. He arrived having finished 2-2-1-5-2 in his five starts on LIV Golf this year. The data suggested Rahm’s game was in top shape, reminiscent of his form in 2023 when he triumphed at Augusta.
Over the past two seasons, since his move to LIV Golf, Rahm’s major record has been mixed. He has three top 10s in seven starts, but only one saw him truly contend on the back nine on Sunday. That was at the 2025 PGA Championship.
Thursday’s first round saw Rahm shoot a six-over 78 with zero birdies. He found himself 11 shots behind the leaders, effectively ending his Masters hopes after a round where his swing abandoned him.
Swing Issues and Frustration
Rahm acknowledged the difficulty of the course after his opening round. He said that it wasn’t easy when you have no feel with the swing whatsoever.
Out of frustration, Rahm hit 20 range balls on Thursday. He rebounded with a two-under 70 on Friday to make the cut but entered the weekend 16 shots back of Rory McIlroy.
Rahm attributed his struggles to an “anomaly” with his swing that led to a bad start. While frustrating, he said that’s just how golf is sometimes.
Expectations and Unexplained Difficulties
Rahm stated he came in with the same expectations he comes into any other major, any other tournament. He said not any higher or lower.
Rahm said if he knew why it hasn’t worked out, he probably wouldn’t say it right now. Also he would have tried to avoid it if he knew the why he played the way he played so far.