Jon Rahm did not have exactly the dream debut in a field that he claims to like very much, the Real Club Valderrama, where this Thursday he experienced an authentic ordeal in the initial round of the Estrell Damm Andalucía Masters.
The Basque already noticed that it was a very complicated field and faith that he lived it in his own flesh in a morning where a strong wind got up and everything made it a lot more difficult, even for the number one in the world.
And it is that Rahm, used to attacking flags and fighting for birdies, this time it was the opposite. He was constantly on the razor’s edge, trying to save the pairs and ended up finding up to seven bogeys. Not a single birdie on his card, something totally anomalous and that he tried to fit in the best possible way.
Black day
A miserable journey for him, and nor could he compensate the hundreds of fans who got up early to continue his return complete. At least, they were able to enjoy their friend, the Spanish Open champion, the Canarian Rafa Cabrera Bello, that if he knew how to handle himself on the greens of Valderrama to add a round of 68 strokes (-3).
Cabrera Bello, in a sweet moment of play after his victory at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, played a much more effective game, finding fairways and good shots to the green that allowed him to add four birdies for a single bogey.
Pure magic of the canary given the difficulties of the field, which put all the players in check on this first day. The one who developed the best in Sotogrande was the Frenchman Julien Guerrier, who still has not added a victory on the European Tour but his return on Thursday of 67 strokes (-4), would already be worth it to frame.
Complicated day for everyone
And it is that seeing the difficulties of the number one in the world, nobody expects that the markers are going to shoot negatively. Throughout the afternoon day, when the wind gets used to even getting stronger.
An unfortunate start for Rahm that forces him to perform a machado this Friday if he wants to be there for the weekend in this Estrella Damm Andalucía Masters.