Jon Rahm has admitted he’s been left shocked by what happened to him during his two-day stint at the PGA Championship.
After his second-round 72 at Valhalla, Rahm was left one shot outside the projected cut on level par.
The Spaniard was left to rue a double bogey on the 16th hole. The outcome means the 29-year-old’s run of 18 consecutive cuts in majors has come to an end.
The cut at Valhalla is the second time a major championship cut line has fallen under par. Rahm himself did predict low scores before Thursday’s first tee.
However, his performance couldn’t match the impressive scoring from large swathes of the field.
Jon Rahm surprised with how he played at Valhalla
READ MORE: Valhalla Golf Club: A look at the lush fairways that are home to the PGA Championship 2024
After a consistent start to life on the LIV Golf tour, Rahm admitted his shock at his performance in Louisville.
He said: “Surprised because of how I felt like I was hitting it in Australia and Singapore and in the week off before coming here, especially off the tee, hitting great drives – and that’s what’s been my downfall.
“I just couldn’t find a fairway off the tee. You can make birdies off the fairway, but off the rough, it’s a tough golf course to score on, and that’s kind of what happened to me.”
On the latter stages of his second round, Rahm added: “I was just hoping to get one more and clear myself,” Rahm said. “But yeah, when you’re playing bad, you kind of need the extra motivation some kind of way. It was on my mind, and the swing wasn’t quite there, but with the putter, I felt comfortable.
“I was just begging to give myself some kind of a chance and I could never give myself anything on the last three holes. I think it was 25 feet. 25 feet and 60 feet, which I’ve been less nervous over some putts at distance in my career, that’s for sure.”
Back to the drawing board for Jon Rahm after Valhalla disappointment
A player of Rahm’s quality shouldn’t be missing the cut in what were favourable conditions.
He hits the ball a long way and was well-suited to Valhalla’s set-up.
Rahm cut a frustrated figure at times and was perhaps caught up in the moment after being involved with an event with PGA Tour stars also in the field.
His performances on the LIV Golf tour, as mentioned, have been good, but there’s still a sense that Rahm might be regretting his decision to move to Greg Norman’s Saudi-backed venture.
The 2023 Masters winner’s performance this week potentially demonstrates a need for more consistent rounds against the best players in the world, something that LIV perhaps lacks.
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