Bang! And Rahm’s hopes in the toilet
WORLD NO 1: THE FIRST MAN TO HAVE A WGC FULL HOUSE
Miami – Jon Rahm blamed a loud noise, reported as a slamming portable toilet door, for a poor chip shot at the final hole that cost him a chance of forcing extra holes in his final against Dustin Johnson at the WGC-Dell Match Play on Sunday.
Rahm was just starting his backswing for the 80-foot shot at Austin Country Club in Texas when a sudden noise reverberated across the green.
The 22-year-old Spaniard continued with his swing but hit the ball fat and he reacted in disgust when it stopped barely halfway to the hole.
“That’s absolutely why I missed it,” Rahm told Golf Channel, referring to the noise, which NBC television said was a portable toilet door banging.
“I lost focus with my head, chunked it and left it short. That’s absolutely what happened.”
Rahm proceeded to miss his long birdie putt, halving the hole with the American, who escaped with a 1-up victory in the World Golf Championships event. – Reuters
Tigerish Jon Rahm made it difficult for eventual champion.
American Dustin Johnson became the first player to win all four World Golf Championships events when he claimed the WGC-Dell Match Play in Texas on Sunday.
World No 1 and top seed Johnson beat Spanish 21st seed Jon Rahm one-up in the 18-hole final at Austin Country Club.
Johnson built a five-up lead after eight holes and held on, though only barely, after a late Rahm rally that cut the lead to one-up after 16 holes.
“Today was a really tough day. I’m proud of the way I played, the way I stayed in there, even though he (Rahm) made some birdies on the back nine,” Johnson said after sinking his winning putt from inside three feet at the final hole.
Johnson earlier barely survived his semifinal against 54th seed Hideto Tanihara, winning one-up after the Japanese player missed a good chance to win the 18th hole.
Rahm beat American 42nd seed Bill Haas 3&2 in the other semi.
It was Johnson’s third consecutive victory, after he won the event formerly known as the Los Angeles Open and then the WGC-Mexico Championship.
Johnson’s five WGC titles puts him second behind Tiger Woods, who has 18.
Johnson said the key to victory had been avoiding mistakes.
“I didn’t give him any holes, except for 10 where I three-putted. It was tough out there. The greens got really fast, the wind was affecting all the putts. Jon played really well, I just didn’t really give him anything.”
In a final that matched two of the game’s longest hitters, Johnson looked set to cruise to victory thanks to his big early lead, but it got interesting near the end.
Rahm, three down with four holes left, came to life, winning the par-four 15th with a birdie before taking the par-five 16th with another birdie, sinking a 30-footer after an astonishing second shot from the rough that he somehow threaded through an oak tree.
Rahm then drove through the green at the par-four 18th, ending up over the back, from where, perhaps distracted by a loud sudden banging noise just as he started his swing, he misjudged his 80foot chip shot and could only par, allowing Johnson to escape with the win.
In the match for third place, Haas beat Tanihara 2&1, though the loser at least enjoyed a holein-one at the par-three seventh. – Reuters