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PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico —Teeing it up on Mayakoba’s El Camaleón Golf Course might seem to be nothing new for Jon Rahm given his three earlier appearances on the Riviera Maya on the PGA Tour from 2014-2016, however the Spaniard felt the nerves on Friday as he made his LIV Golf debut.
“Yeah, I may really feel the stress, however it’s a very good factor, proper?” stated Rahm, who fired a 5-under 66 to sit down T-4 one shot behind Sergio Garcia, two photographs behind Patrick Reed and a whopping seven photographs behind Joaquin Niemann after his historic 12-under 59. “It’s bizarre; you do get to select a music for the primary tee, and I assumed possibly it was going to assist. If something, it gave it a little bit bit extra — the heartbeat went a little bit bit up simply from listening to a music you want.”
“I’m like, I really feel assured, however the added stress that it’s considered one of my favourite songs,” Rahm stated of Dangerous Bunny’s hit observe, Monaco, “however it helped as a result of I hit a fantastic tee shot to begin the day. I felt it, however after the tee shot and the second shot and making that putt, it felt like I settled in fairly properly.”
That’s placing it evenly. Beginning on the primary gap alongside Cam Smith (Ripper GC) and Talor Gooch (Smash GC) Rahm birdied 5 of his first seven holes to storm out the gate, which usually would put him on the high of the leaderboard if it weren’t for Niemann.
“I didn’t see him early on, after which after I was 5 below and I used to be tied for fourth, I used to be like, ‘Anyone is — I used to be 5 below via 7, and I used to be third, so I used to be like, ‘Okay, clearly everyone goes off.’”
After the flip, Rahm added to his tally with a pair of birdies on Nos. 13 and 15 and was cruising via the again 9 till he leaked a little bit of oil coming in with two unhealthy bogeys on the seventeenth and 18th holes.
“I really feel like a type of bogeys, 17, was avoidable. 18 was simply unlucky,” he defined. “However it doesn’t take away from how good I performed these first 16 holes. It was good to get off the soar, simply get going and play good golf. Up to now I’d say it was a really profitable begin.”
Seven photographs again is sort of the mountain to climb, particularly with solely 36 holes left in comparison with the 54 that Rahm is used to. Regardless of the deficit, Rahm is extra centered on what he didn’t do to shut out his spherical than what Niemann did to take his lead.
Captain Jon Rahm of Legion XIII warms up within the observe space throughout day one of many LIV Golf Invitational – Mayakoba at El Camaleon at Mayakoba on February 02, 2024 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. (Picture by Manuel Velasquez/Getty Pictures)
“If something I’m considering extra about that, my end, than what Joaco did. Once more, I feel if the wind doesn’t choose up, we’re going to need to strategy a 20-under, which once more is doable,” he stated. “The greens are in actually fine condition, and in case you can put the ball within the fairway, you can provide your self possibilities.”
“I performed a extremely good spherical right now,” he added. “If I cleaned up my end a little bit bit, may have been a unbelievable strategy to end.”
Rahm defined his first impressions of LIV as a special vibe in comparison with what he’s used to on Tour, however famous the music all through the spherical wasn’t too completely different from how he performs at dwelling – if something the audio system on carts again in Arizona are extra highly effective than LIV’s, he joked. Because the captain of the league’s first growth group, Legion XIII, Rahm stated earlier within the week that it was uncommon to be occupied with managing his group seeing as golf is a person sport. He then discovered himself watching the leaderboard on Friday to maintain tabs on his teammates Tyrrell Hatton, Caleb Surratt and Kieran Vincent.
“It’s humorous, the primary few occasions I used to be extra excited about how the group was doing than myself, which was undoubtedly one thing new, and I feel Cam caught me wanting, he stated that; it’s loopy the way you may care extra concerning the group than your particular person,” Rahm defined. “Yeah, I clearly stored up. There’s three gamers that I need to see how they’re doing. Not their greatest begin, however nonetheless two extra days for them to point out what they’re fabricated from. Although it’s nonetheless early; we’ve bought a barely, barely turned skilled participant and Kieran who’s now full-time right here. It might be anticipated to have a little bit little bit of a tough begin.”
“However I really feel like these two guys and Tyrrell sooner or later are going to shock lots of people,” he added. “Perhaps not Tyrrell as a result of he’s performed it so many occasions, however these two guys may play a degree of golf that I do know they will play however that lots of people haven’t seen.”
Legion XIII is 4 below as a group and at present sits T-7 alongside Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs GC coming into Saturday’s second spherical.
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