Rahm laughs off daylight robbery as duo pinch his ball
JON RAHM laughed off being the victim of a cheeky bit of daylight robbery as he made a solid start to the defence of his US Open title at Brookline.
Rahm birdied the 18th hole to complete an opening 69, but only after two young spectators made off with his ball following a pulled tee shot into the rough.
“I’m pretty sure I know who it was,” Rahm said with a smile. “I recognised the two kids that were running the opposite way with a smile on their face. I am 100-per-cent sure I saw the two kids that stole it.”
After putting a new ball into play, Rahm was given a free drop away from a temporary immovable obstruction and hit his second shot to 21 feet before rolling in the birdie putt.
“I’m just really happy somebody spotted the ball first,” added the Ryder Cup star, who also hit a provisional ball on the 17th after fearing his wild tee shot could be lost. “We knew exactly where it was.
“After the free relief I had 135 yards to the pin, in an area where the rough wasn’t that thick. I don’t think they expected anybody to hit it there or be around there, so I was able to drop it in an area that was a little downgrain.”
Rahm’s successful birdie putt prompted a fist pump which brought back memories of his reaction to closing out the win at Torrey Pines 12 months ago, but he added: “It’s not really comparable.
“It’s just more of a thankGod-I-made-a-putt-type deal. 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 US Open, it’s quite a big deal.”