Jon Rahm BREAKS course record with sizzling 61 at Mexico Open
Masters champion Jon Rahm proved he's on another level with an exceptional third round performance at the Mexico Open on the PGA Tour.
Jon Rahm broke the course record at Vidanta Villarta during the third round of the Mexico Open on the PGA Tour.
The 2023 Masters champion carded a round of 10-under 61 to put himself firmly in contention to defend his title.
Rahm flirted with joining the 59 club and probably should have made history but unfortunately for the 28-year-old it just wasn't to be.
He misread a couple of birdie putts inside 10 feet down the stretch.
As Rahm walked off the 18th green he appeared a little bit disappointed that his round wasn't lower as he embraced Kelley Cahill.
"It was just on 18 when I realised it could've been a 60 or a 59," Rahm told the media afterwards.
Rahm finds himself at 17-under par and just two strokes behind 54-hole leader Tony Finau (65) heading into the final round.
Akshay Bhatia, who has special temporary membership on the PGA Tour, is also two shots back following a superb 63.
So what happened?
Playing alongside Michael Kim and Taylor Pendrith, Rahm started on fire by draining a birdie putt from 38ft on No. 1 at the Greg Norman-designed layout.
It moved him to 9-under par for the tournament. A safe par followed at No. 2 before the flat stick started to heat up again at No. 3. This time Rahm's birdie putt, from 26ft, was a downhill slider that just about caught the right edge of the cup.
At the fourth hole, Rahm split the fairway then sent a towering, cutting iron shot from 173 yards to 22 inches to set up the simplest of birdies.
He then took advantage of the par-5 sixth hole before back-to-back birdies followed at No. 7 and 8, meaning that he turned in 6-under 29.
Rahm's back nine was also full of fireworks and sumptuous iron striking. Birdies at 12, 13 and 14 vaulted him to 16-under and into the lead ahead of Tony Finau.
He was a matter of inches from making four birdies in a row but his makeable birdie putt at No. 15 stayed up when he thought it was going to drop right at the last minute.
Rahm had played 16 holes in 9-under par but in truth it could've been even better.
The Spaniard muscled a long iron onto the green at the long 17th, leaving 38 feet for birdie. "Anything on the putting surface is good," said Trevor Immelman on CBS.
His putt? Centre cup, of course. The reaction? A clenched fist.
Eagle required at 18 for 59.
There have been 12 sub-60 rounds shot in PGA Tour history. Eleven have been 59s, and Jim Furyk has the only 58, which came at the 2016 Travelers Championship.
Furyk is also one of the players to record a 59.
Does Jon Rahm make the eagle at No. 18 to shoot 59?!
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) April 29, 2023
Rahm's tee shot at the final hole wasn't what he wanted. He thought he had caught enough of his driver to clear the fairway bunker but unfortunately his ball didn't fade enough.
"Oh my God," Rahm said. "I thought that was good."
Devastatingly for Rahm his golf ball landed just up against the lip and he had to hack it out back onto the fairway to all but end the dream of joining the 59 club.
His attempt at 59 was from 159 yards, choking down on an 8-iron. His shot had a little bit too much juice on it and it gave him 30ft for 60 for his lowest ever round on the PGA Tour.
Unfortunately for Rahm his putt stayed high.
Still, this was a new course record at Vidanta and the third time he has shot 61 on the PGA Tour.
A heck of a round from a heck of a player. It could have been better. It probably should have.
Finau carded seven birdies in an equally impressive 65.
The big American is bidding to turn the tables on Rahm having finished runner up to him 12 months ago.
Mexico Open 3rd Round Leaderboard
-19 T Finau
-17 J Rahm, A Bhatia
-16 B Wu
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