4/7/23, 10:53 AM Jon Rahm survives 4-putt double-bogey start, shares Masters lead

Rahm shares lead after 4-putt double-

bogey on 1
3h

LIV golfers open with mixed results at

Masters
5h - Mark Schlabach

Jon Rahm survives 4-putt double-

bogey start, shares Masters lead
Garcia to media on PGA-LIV questions:
'Stop it'
8h - Mark Schlabach

ESPN News Services 7:23 AM WIB

Tiger still hopeful after opening 74 at

Masters
7h - Paolo Uggetti
 AUGUSTA, Ga. -- On his way to the second tee Thursday at the Masters, Jon
Rahm thought
Zalatoris, Na withdraw of of
on first day the famous quote from his Spanish idol, Seve Ballesteros, who
Masters
13h - Mark Schlabach
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4/7/23, 10:53 AM Jon Rahm survives 4-putt double-bogey start, shares Masters lead

 once four-putted at Augusta and said, "I miss, I miss, I miss, I make."
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 "If you're going to make a double or four-putt, it might as well be the first hole -
- 71 holes to make it up," Rahm said.
@
That he did.
°
Rahm overcame a four-putt double bogey on the opening hole with a sublime
display of shot-making, following with seven birdies and an eagle to finish at 7-
under 65. He joins Viktor Hovland and Brooks Koepka atop a leaderboard filled
with red numbers and the ominous "weather warning" signs that figure to play a
big role this week at the Masters.

Rahm's 65 was the lowest score in Masters history by anyone who started with a
double bogey.

EDITOR'S PICKS
Tiger still hopeful after opening 74 at Masters
7h • Paolo Uggetti

LIV golfers open with mixed results at Masters

2h • Mark Schlabach

Tee times for the second round of the Masters

6h • ESPN

"It's still a long way to go. I'm mostly super happy with what I've done," Rahm
said. "I'm really happy I started the way I did and gave myself a solid start to the
week."

The forecast has been talked about almost as much as how 18 players from
Saudi-backed LIV Golf would perform amid the high-stakes pressure of a major
over 72 holes with a cut.

Hovland was among the early starters and played bogey-free, the highlight
being a 25-foot eagle putt on the second hole and being 7 under through 13
holes until he cooled at the end. The Norwegian star also stood out for other
reasons. The azaleas are starting to lose their color from an early bloom.
Hovland made up for it with his shirt.

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4/7/23, 10:53 AM Jon Rahm survives 4-putt double-bogey start, shares Masters lead

"It's definitely a little bit out there," Hovland said. "But I think I'd rather take
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these than the pink© pants I had last year. So we're making progress."
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Koepka had two birdies in his opening three holes and never really slowed,
finishing with back-to-back birdies to finish his 65. He is coming off a victory
Sunday in LIV Golf, making him the first multiple winner in the fledgling
circuit.

The warm, muggy air and relatively soft greens allowed for good scores for just
about everyone. Cameron Young and Jason Day were at 67.

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler, trying to become only the fourth player
to win back-to-back, was in the group at 68 that included major champions
Shane Lowry, Adam Scott and Gary Woodland, along with Xander Schauffele
and U.S. Amateur champion Sam Bennett.

Missing from the red numbers was Tiger Woods, who has never missed the cut
as a pro in the Masters and will have some work to do if he wants to keep that
streak alive. He made only one birdie over 14 holes, but had a late spark until
finishing with a bogey for a 74.

Rory McIlroy, needing a Masters green jacket to complete the career Grand
Slam, took a double bogey from the trees on the par-4 seventh and had three
more bogeys to offset his good play. He wound up with a 72, already 7 shots
behind a world-class leaderboard.

Rahm only a month ago was playing so well he looked unstoppable -- three wins
on the PGA Tour over his first five starts, all against strong fields. And then he
dropped from No. 1 to No. 3 in no time as Scheffler and McIlroy surged.

Consider his opening round -- even the four-putt double bogey -- to be a

reminder that his game is sharp and his passion is burning hot to be the next
Spaniard to win the Masters.

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4/7/23, 10:53 AM Jon Rahm survives 4-putt double-bogey start, shares Masters lead

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That he could recall a funny
© ESPN line from
Enterprises, Ballesteros
Inc. All so soon after a crushing start
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was a good sign. He thought his putting stroke was good on all of them. So he
moved on. Rahm hit every fairway and missed only one green.

He hammered a 4-iron from 249 yards on the par-5 eighth that caught the ridge
side of the green and fed down to 4 feet for eagle. He birdied four of his last six
holes, finishing with an 8-iron to 3 feet on the 18th.

"The one on 18 takes the cake," Rahm said. "The one on 18 was just perfect
drive, great second shot and tap-in for birdie. You don't usually get a walk-off
birdie over here, and those two swings were about as good as they could feel."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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