Jon Rahm lived up to his billing as the tournament favourite by firing a bogey-free 62 to grab the first round lead at the CareerBuilder Challenge.
Rahm’s rapid ascent through the ranks of pro golf has been impressive, and it continued with his eight birdies and an eagle that stole the attention from tournament host Phil Mickelson on Thursday at La Quinta Country Club.
In his past two starts, Rahm won the European Tour’s season-ending event in Dubai and finished second at the Sentry Tournament of Champions (to the world’s top-ranked player). His price is rising faster than Bitcoin, but people aren’t worried about this bubble bursting.
Rahm, who missed just two fairways and three greens on Thursday, called it one of the best ball-striking rounds of his life.
‘Kapalua wasn’t the best ball-striking week of my life, but I was able to scramble really well and keep calm and have a good score,’ he said.
‘Today it was the complete opposite. I … just had it going.’
The 23-year-old, who turned pro in June 2016, already ranks third in the Official World Golf Ranking and is projected to rise to No 3 in the FedExCup standings.
He had his eye on 59 after making the turn in 30 and hitting his approach shot to 5 feet on the 10th hole. He missed that birdie putt, but rebounded with birdies on three of the next four holes. Three consecutive pars were followed by a birdie at the 18th hole.
‘Maybe I relaxed a little too much,’ he admitted. ‘I missed a couple of iron shots and had to struggle for pars. I’m just thankful to finish the way I did with a birdie on the 18th hole, which is always great for momentum.’
Credit: PGA TOUR
