Rahm, Smith locked in duel

KAPALUA, Hawaii — Jon Rahm matched the low score of his career, tied the course record at Kapalua Resort and played his last 12 holes in 11 under for a 61.

He needed it just to catch Cameron Smith in the Sentry Tournament of Champions on Saturday.

In an outrageously low-scoring start in the PGA Tour’s first event of 2022, Rahm and Smith pulled away from the rest of the winners-only field by going shot for shot, putt for putt across so much of the back nine on a defenseless Plantation Course.

Rahm capped off his birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie finish with putts from just inside 30 feet and 15 feet for his 12-under-par 61. That tied the course record set a few hours earlier by Justin Thomas, who was one shot behind when he finished, but nine shots back when the day was done.

The average score of 67.7 was the lowest at Kapalua since the Tournament of Champions moved to the west end of Maui in 1999. The previous record was 67.8 set the day before.

There’s nothing to stop these guys except themselves, and that wasn’t happening.

Spain’s Rahm and Australia’s Smith were at 26-under 193 entering the final round, five shots clear of Daniel Berger, who had a third consecutive round of 66. That wasn’t nearly good enough for a perfect three-day run of warm weather, very little wind and extraordinarily low scoring.

All 38 players were under par in the winners-only field, with Jason Kokrak bringing up the rear at 5-under 214. Baylor School graduate Harris English, the tourney’s reigning champion and a two-time winner on tour in 2021, was tied for 32nd at 8 under after a 68 as he improved his score for the third straight day.

Ernie Els set the PGA Tour record for lowest score to par at 31 under in 2003 at Kapalua. That’s very much in jeopardy.