Smylie Kaufman left surprised by what he saw from Jon Rahm on day one at the US Open which was ‘just stupid’

Add as preferred source on Google

As many of the favourites faltered on day one at the US Open, Jon Rahm was able to put himself right in the mix at Oakmont, with the 2021 champion opening up with a one under par 69.

While there was plenty of chaos across the course on Thursday at the US Open, Jon Rahm seemed to play one of the more controlled rounds of the day. The Spaniard made just two bogeys and one birdie, but the crucial moment of his opening 18 holes came on his 13th of the day as he made an eagle.

Rahm proved a bit of a point at the PGA Championship last month, with questions being asked of how his move to LIV Golf had impacted his performances in the majors. It was the 30-year-old who pushed Scottie Scheffler closer than anyone else on Sunday at Quail Hollow.

And he appears to have taken another step in the right direction this week. Rahm is just three shots back of the lead, with Brooks Koepka the only other major champion currently inside the top 10 in Pennsylvania.

Smylie Kaufman surprised by Jon Rahm after his opening round at the US Open

Given the lack of experience in that top 10, there appears to be a fantastic opportunity for either Rahm or Koepka to take control of the tournament on Friday.

And speaking on The Smylie Show, Smylie Kaufman insisted that he was taken aback by Rahm’s performance alongside Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth.

“I think Jon Rahm should be the favourite, I’m not sure what the odds say at this point, but from what I saw today, his ball-striking was just stupid,” he said.

“He was hitting it unbelievable off the tee, driving it down the middle of the fairway. And what surprised me too, was how hard he was hitting it. He’s definitely picked up some distance recently that I, of course I haven’t got to see him week-in and week-out, but he was a good 20 to 30 past Dustin, and Dustin’s lost some speed. He doesn’t hit it nearly as far as he used to. That was the surprise to me. Jordan’s hitting it really far, but even on Jordan’s good ones and Rahm’s good ones, Rahm would be a good 10 to 15 in front of him.”

The Jon Rahm stat which sends an ominous message to everyone else at Oakmont

There is certainly one standout statistic from Rahm’s opening round. No-one could compete with the two-time major champion when it came to strokes gained off the tee.

He had an average day on and around the green. And that may help explain why he only managed to make one birdie all day.

But Oakmont demands that you keep the ball in play off the tee. So for Rahm to put daylight between himself and the field with his performance in that category is ominous for everyone else.

As Kaufman suggests, it would be little surprise to see him make a charge now that he has put himself in a good position.