Jon Rahm survives stolen ball, shoots 69 at U.S. Open

BROOKLINE, Mass. – Jon Rahm survived a late case of the lefts and a stolen golf ball in his first round to ensure he remains in the mix to become just the eighth player to go back-to-back at the U.S. Open. Rahm could only shrug his shoulders and laugh as two kids bolted from the vicinity of where his wild tee shot ended up on the 18th hole. The drive sailed well left and ricocheted off of a broadcasting tent. It was a moment of levity on a stressful morning at The Country Club for Rahm who, after receiving a free drop, was able to muscle the approach shot to 20 feet before draining the birdie to card a 1-under 69. It left him just two shots back of the morning pacesetters. “I’m pretty sure I know who it was. I recognized the two kids that were running the opposite way with a smile on their face. I am 100% sure I saw the two kids that stole it,” Rahm chuckled afterwards. “I’m just really happy somebody spotted the ball first.” The ball fiasco came just one hole after Rahm thought he may have blown his tournament one one hole. The Spanish star had pulled his drive on the 17th hole so far left that he was worried he’d hit it out of bounds. He reloaded and hit a provisional, but that ball also started sailing left toward Francis Ouimet’s childhood home. Rahm grabbed a third ball before being informed that his first one had stayed on property. The seven-time PGA TOUR winner had driven the ball beautifully prior to the final two holes, but his three front nine birdies were offset by three bogeys on the third, ninth and 15th holes. By his own estimation there were “about five iron shots that I skanked completely” as freshening crosswinds came into play. “I didn’t really realize how close I came. I fully know how lucky I got on that hole,” he said about the 17th after he escaped with a par. “I feel like I played pretty good golf all day. I just saw a lot of (putts) get close and not go in, and to hit two wayward drives in the last two holes and somehow end up with two birdie putts and making the last one to break par on the first round of the U.S. Open, it’s quite a big deal,” he said. “A lot of it was a bit of indecision and doubt in my mind because we weren’t exactly sure where the wind was coming from and not committing 100% of the time to the shot, … but I’m not worried.”

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