How was Jon Rahm’s start on the first day of the PGA Championship?

The fact that Jon Rahm struggles to start in major tournaments is not surprising. On Thursday at Valhalla, he had a rough start, with four bogeys and two pars in the first six holes. This was his worst start in a Grand Slam tournament so far. Even in the 2018 US Open, where he missed the cut, he didn’t start as poorly. This rough start came on the same day that Forbes ranked him as the second highest-paid athlete in the world.

He has a knack for turning initial setbacks into impressive performances. We witnessed this a year ago at the Masters when he recovered from a double bogey on the first hole to win, a feat not achieved since Sam Snead in 1952. This ability was also displayed in the first round of the 106th PGA Championship. Despite a challenging front nine, where he finished at -3 with a birdie on the par-5 7th, Rahmbo turned things around on the back nine of Jack Nicklaus’ design. He finished at -4 with five birdies and a bogey, coming close to an eagle on the 13th hole. His round total of -1 wasn’t groundbreaking on a day with the most under-par scores (64) since 2006, but it keeps him in contention against Xander Schauffele’s historic -9.

In the morning, the pace quickened as players vied to catch up with the leader. Scottie Scheffler, despite recently becoming a father, remained focused. His excellent performance dispelled any doubts about his ability to maintain his form. He finished the round with a score of 67 (-4), including four birdies and two bogeys. Despite not excelling with the putter, his performance at -5 indicates a return to the form he displayed in 2020.