Jon Rahm stood in the midst of the seventeenth fairway on Sunday at Augusta Nationwide and despatched his way shot hovering towards the pin. The 2-time primary champion used to be 5 beneath via 16 holes and hoping to complete with an emphatic flurry.
However that used to be now not the tale of the 2026 Masters for Jon Rahm.
The ball left his membership, and the 2023 champion instantly began barking at it. “Cross! Cross!” The ball landed at the inexperienced however instantly rolled off the false back and front into the green. “What the hell?” Rahm muttered whilst taking a look backtrack on the turf.
That has been the tale of this Masters for Jon Rahm.
He arrived as one of the vital pre-tournament favorites. He has completed 2-2-1-5-2 in his 5 begins on LIV Golfing this yr, and the entire Strokes Received metrics pointed to Rahm’s recreation being in best form, again to the extent that noticed him triumph at Augusta in 2023 and function a continuing presence on primary leaderboards. Over the last two seasons, since his transfer to LIV Golfing, Rahm’s primary file has been confounding. He has 3 best 10s in seven begins, however just one — the 2025 PGA Championship — noticed him really contend at the again 9 on Sunday. That day at Quail Hole, Rahm mentioned it used to be the “most exciting” he’d had on a golfing route shortly. Rahm didn’t win in any respect in 2025 — now not on LIV, the DP Global Excursion or at a big. He mentioned there used to be an issue in his takeaway that he rectified right through a three-month wreck on the finish of 2025 and that he after all felt like himself. The consequences and the information recommended that Jon Rahm used to be again to being Jon Rahm. That he could be an element at this Masters.
Then got here Thursday’s first spherical, the place Rahm shot a head-scratching, six-over 78 with 0 birdies. He used to be 11 pictures again of the leaders prior to the solar set, and his Masters hopes have been successfully dashed after a spherical the place his swing deserted him.
“It’s a troublesome golfing route,” Rahm mentioned after his first spherical. “Probably the most gamers may had been ready to control a decent spherical, but if you haven’t any really feel with the swing in any way, it’s simply now not a very simple one.”
Rahm hit 20 vary balls out of “frustration” on Thursday after which rebounded with a two-under 70 on Friday to make the reduce. However he entered the weekend 16 pictures again of Rory McIlroy. Rahm mentioned “golfing is golfing” and disregarded the inquiries about why he used to be as soon as once more now not contending at a big. He mentioned an “anomaly” together with his swing resulted in a nasty get started and, whilst irritating, that’s simply how golfing is occasionally.
“I got here in with the similar expectancies I come into some other primary, some other match,” Rahm mentioned after capturing one over on Saturday to e book an early morning tee time on Sunday. “No longer any upper or decrease. If I knew the why [it hasn’t worked out], two issues: Almost definitely now not going to mention it at this time, and I’d have attempted to steer clear of it if I knew the why I performed the way in which I performed to this point.”
Rahm went out early on Sunday along Sergio Garcia. By the point McIlroy and co-leader Cameron Younger arrived on the route, Rahm used to be smartly into his ultimate spherical. On a gettable day, he went out in 32, making 5 birdies and two bogeys. He birdied 12 and 15 to get again to degree par with 3 holes to play. He made a ho-hum par at 16 after which were given up-and-down for par after a deficient 2nd shot on 17.
“I were given away a large number of what to not do. Nowadays used to be significantly better,” Rahm mentioned on Sunday. “Loopy, similar individual, proper? Even if I made some errors, I used to be ready to rectify somewhat a couple of of them and feature a excellent spherical.”
Then got here an admission — Rahm has to vary some issues as he appears to be like towards the PGA Championship subsequent month.
“Performed truly dangerous the 2 days. Shot two beneath on the second one spherical, however that used to be about as excellent as I must have shot with how I used to be hitting it,” Rahm mentioned. “Surely some issues I’m going alternate going ahead. Preparation-wise and what to do.”
Status on 18 tee at even par on Sunday, Rahm let his ultimate tee shot of the 2026 Masters fly. It began left on the fairway bunker and not left. “Oh get started it additional proper; get a excellent lie,” Rahm barked at his ball because it soared throughout the Georgia sky. It landed within the face and Rahm used to be ultimately left with a long, downhill putt for a remaining par. It used to be a excellent roll. Because it approached the opening, Rahm gestured for it to show proper. It didn’t, settling inches clear of the cup.
He shook his head, tapped in for a completing bogey and rubbed his eyes. Main weeks elevate weight for everybody; they’re even heavier for the ones whose legacies are at the line, who’ve designs on etching themselves into golfing historical past. You most effective get such a lot of possibilities to position your self within the battle, to present your self a shot to knock one off. This used to be meant to be a kind of weeks for Jon Rahm.
As a substitute, he used to be left staring off into the Augusta sky after every other primary had handed him through.