If the golf glove fits…then you don’t have to pull one out of the trash can. That move was among the most memorable things Jon Rahm did on Thursday amid an opening 5-under 67 at Shadow Creek for the CJ Cup.
Rahm found himself with an ill-fitting golf glove in Thursday’s first round in Las Vegas.
“They were too small so I couldn’t use them,” he said. “That’s about it. On the turn we were able to get one that was my size. Not that it affected much. I had to go fish it out of the trash can, that’s the only part.”
Rahm said it’s not something that happens often, and it hardly affected his performance. The Spaniard had three birdies on the back nine then had four more after the turn. He sprinkled in a pair of bogeys on the day, too.
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“I think I’m really pleased with the stretch of holes on 18, 1 and 2,” he said. “Missed a couple of putts in a row on that front nine, didn’t make many. I gave myself chances. And playing a great 18th hole, having an eagle chance, making the birdie on 1 and the par putt on 2, that is easily a two-shot swing if I don’t hit one of those shots correctly.”
Rahm’s round left him in sight of the top of the leaderboard. At 5 under, he’s two shots behind leader Tyrrell Hatton. Russell Henley is second after a 6-under 66 and Rahm is part of a tie for third with Xander Schauffele and Tyler Duncan.
Rahm also hasn’t teed it up since the U.S. Open, where he finished T-23. He took one of those three weeks completely off of golf.
In Arizona, where Rahm is based, short-game practice has been a bit challenging because of most courses have over-seeded.
“You can do some ball-striking, but putting was challenging, most greens are slow,” he said. “I think that was the hardest thing. That’s probably why I missed so many on the front nine, I was so concerned about the speed more than anything.”
