Poor putting ruins Masters for Rahm
AUGUSTA, Ga. — This was not the green jacket defense Jon Rahm had in mind.
The 29-year-old Spaniard, who’s on the LIV Golf tour, followed up his 2023 Masters victory with an unmemorable 9-over-par finish this week.
“There’s a lot of things that contributed to me not having my best week, and one of them I think was obviously on the greens,” Rahm said. “I never really had the pace of the greens, and a couple too many three-putts.’’
Rahm had a stunning eight three-putts in his four rounds and had a total of 130 putts for the tournament. It’s impossible to win a Masters with those numbers.
Asked what this week meant to him as the de- fending champion and hosting the champion’s dinner Tuesday night, Rahm sounded wistful.
“It’s harder to talk about it when I’ve played this bad,’’ he said. “It’s been nice to have some receptions walking up to some tees no matter what my score was and seeing the appreciation. But when you don’t have your best week, it’s hard to have to stay now to put the jacket on somebody else [when I] never really ever have a chance.’’
➤ Rory McIlroy has now played 16 career Masters without a win. This week was his 10th Masters since it became the last leg of the career Grand Slam he needs to become the sixth player ever to complete it.
And on Sunday, he again went home empty-handed, never having been in contention. He shot 73 on Sunday and finished 4-over for the tournament.
➤ What a week for Neal Shipley, the 22-year-old Pittsburgh native, who played college golf at James Madison and is now a grad student at Ohio State. He was the only amateur to make the cut, which assured him as the low. And he was paired with Tiger Woods in Sunday’s final round.
“Playing with Tiger, Sunday at the Masters, the whole week, I think I have to win one of these things to kind of top this week,’’ Shipley said after shooting a 73 on Sunday to finish 12over for the week. “Definitely been a dream week, but looking forward to being out here [as a pro] soon hopefully.’’
Shipley earned a spot in the field this week as the U.S. Amateur runner-up last year. He’s gone from little-known college golfer to a week like this.
“It’s certainly been quite the journey,’’ he said.
Shipley shot 80 in the third round Saturday, which he said, “Is never fun.’’
➤ Three-time green jacket winner Phil Mickelson, at age 53, closed out his 31st Masters shooting a 2-over 74 to finish 8-over for the week.
Mickelson has now made 101 cuts in major championships, the third most in the history of the game behind only Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.