YOUNG LION RAHM ROARS INTO LEAD
NORTON — In his first full PGA Tour season, Jon Rahm already has his sights on his second victory.
“It does fit my eye, I think it is a great course,” said Rahm, whose 5-under 66 yesterday built him a 2-shot lead at the midway point of the Dell Technologies Championship. “You can tell it is a ball striker’s course because on every green, there are little sections for the pin to be at.
“Hopefully, I can keep playing the way I feel about it.”
He certainly has to this point. Ranked No. 137 in the world when the year began, the 22-year-old Spaniard came to TPC Boston at No. 5 in both those rankings and the FedEx Cup. Rahm’s victory came at Torrey Pines in January, and he has eight other top-10s among his 20 starts.
“I had a few goals early on in the year and I ended up accomplishing a lot more than the ones I had in mind,” said the former Arizona State standout. “Hopefully, I can keep surprising myself.”
Opening on the 10th tee paired with Rickie Fowler and Hideki Matsuyama, all three top-10 players, Rahm started slow, needing an eagle at 18 just to make the turn at even par. A front nine to remember saved the round, highlighted by five birdies: three straight at Nos. 2-4, another on the hazardrich par-5 seventh and a last via a 12-footer on No. 9.
“That (first) nine is the one that looked worse than what it felt. I felt like I was making great swings, they were going on line and hitting the shots that I wanted,” said Rahm. “I played a nearly perfect back nine. I felt like I didn’t miss a shot.”