Jon Rahm four-putts 1st hole for double then goes on birdie binge!
Jon Rahm has a first hole to forget at The Masters. But he'll remember the last 17!
Jon Rahm endured a horror first hole at The Masters before going on to play his final 17 holes in 9-under par!
Rahm split the opening fairway and sent a short iron into the heart of the green. But from there it all went badly wrong for the World No.3.
He smacked his first putt some seven feet past the hole.
Rahm missed the return and sent his ball some four feet past the cup.
He would send that one past the right side, and it led to a four-jab double-bogey six.
Intense start for Jon Rahm who four-putted the first hole pic.twitter.com/zZ6lYqjnsV
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) April 6, 2023
"It's shades of Ernie Els," said Sky Sports Golf's Ewen Murray in the commentary box alongside Butch Harmon and Dame Laura Davies.
Murray was referring to the time when Els took six putts for a record nine on the 1st hole back in 2016.
He missed five of those putts from three feet.
Els referred to playing Augusta National as being a "f***ing nightmare".
But to Rahm's credit he bounced back immediately with consecutive birdies to quickly get those shots back.
65 with a double!
An incredible first round by Jon Rahm. A 4-putt on the first hole didn't stop Jon, who carded 7 birdies and an eagle #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/oAsE8A3u3c— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) April 6, 2023
Rahm would add seven more birdies from there for a stunning round of 65.
As it stands, Rahm now finds himself in a tie for the lead with Viktor Hovland.
After winning five of nine starts around the world earlier this season, Rahm entered The Masters off the back of some indifferent form.
He finished tied 39th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational before then withdrawing from The Players Championship and being sent packing from the group stages at the WGC Match Play.
Rahm remains third in the world behind World No.1 Scottie Scheffler and World No.2 Rory McIlroy.
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