Rahm insists latest controversy over rules didn’t affect his game as he falls behind

Jon Rahm insisted his latest brush with controversy was not on his mind after slipping back on the second day of the Open Championship.

The Spaniard’s first round at Royal Birkdale was overshadowed by a potential rules infringement that initially led to a two-stroke penalty. Those shots were later restored after officials accepted his explanation that the incident on the 17th, when he moved a live plant near his ball, did not affect his lie. That left him one under par overnight but his second-round 74 knocked him backwards.

The world No 7 said: “I was very comfortable with what happened, honestly. It is something unintended, I knew I was not improving my lie. It was up to the rules officials.

“It didn’t affect me today. I didn’t play bad because of yesterday. Like everybody knows, I played bad because of the wind.”

The matter was Rahm’s second rules controversy in quick succession after he escaped a penalty for incorrectly replacing his ball on the green during his Irish Open victory earlier this month.

The 22-year-old, right, admitted the timing of the latest incident was unfortunate but, amid suggestions he could be gaining an unwanted reputation, he said he had not experienced any negativity.

He said: “It would be foolish to go online and see what people have been saying about me because it could be good or bad, but I haven’t heard anything negative. The spectators have been wonderful with me. There is nothing to complain about.

“If it happens twice in the space of ten years nobody will remember. If it happens two tournaments in a row it seems like a bigger deal than it is.

“I wouldn’t have won in Ireland the way I did if I wasn’t comfortable with what happened. If I felt I deserved a penalty I would have said. I’m an honest player. That is one of the things golf teaches you. We are all role models. None of us is trying to cheat or gain strokes like that.”

Rahm had thought the plant was a dead vine and could therefore be moved as a loose impediment. It was playing partner Lee Westwood who spotted the potential infringement and suggested consulting a rules official.

Westwood stuck to the known facts of the story when questioned about the matter. The Englishman told the Golf Channel: “I didn’t see where (the vine) was, I only saw him moving it around to sort of 3 o’clock from where I stood, and I could see it was attached. So I said that it was attached, and they called over a rules official.”

When asked for further clarification, Westwood said: “I saw him lift it up and I saw him move it around to about 3 o’clock, and that’s all I saw. I’m not going to comment on anything else.”