Jon Rahm downplayed a terse interplay with a fan in the course of the first spherical of The Open Championship on Thursday, crediting the state of affairs to unlucky timing and his ensuing response to frustration.
The Spaniard was enjoying the par-4 tenth gap at Royal Portrush in Northern Eire when he despatched his method shot into the best tough. He instantly turned to a spectator who had made a whistling noise throughout Rahm’s backswing.
“Actually? Whistling? Proper, nice time,” Rahm stated. “Proper on my backswing. Very good, whoever it was.”
Rahm would go on to bogey the outlet and the next one. The LIV Golf star did handle a birdie on the 14th and completed with a 1-under 70.
“If I have been to color an image, you’ve got the toughest tee shot on the course, raining, into the wind off the left, it is sufficient,” Rahm instructed reporters of the incident. “I do know they don’t seem to be doing it on function. It simply appeared like someone attempting to come up with somebody for no matter it’s. It was unhealthy timing.
“I believe I simply used the second to let loose any stress I had in me. Actually that is not — it’s what it’s. To be trustworthy, it in all probability did not have an effect on as a lot as I made it sound like. It was a foul swing as nicely. Only a troublesome gap. I imply, it is irritating, however it’s what it’s. It is an on a regular basis factor in golf.”
Rahm, 30, is coming off a runner-up end at LIV’s occasion in Andalucia, Spain, final week. His finest end at The Open was a tie for second two years in the past, and Rahm tied for seventh on the U.S. Open final month.
The 2-time main champion is in search of to finish a 3rd leg of the profession Grand Slam this week to go along with his wins on the 2021 U.S. Open and 2023 Masters.
“There’s only a few issues that may make this one so particular. Not solely getting to a few majors, being the second Spanish participant [along with] Seve [Ballesteros] to win an Open and being the one one to a few totally different majors, that may be — yeah, makes it very, very particular, on high of all the pieces that already is.”