Jon Rahm arrived as a Masters favorite. I am left with questions and an admission

Jon Rahm stood in the midst of the seventeenth fairway on Sunday at Augusta National and despatched his method shot hovering towards the pin. The two-time main champion was 5 below by 16 holes and hoping to complete with an emphatic flurry.

But that was not the story of the 2026 Masters for Jon Rahm.

The ball left his membership, and the 2023 champion instantly began barking at it. “Go! Go!” The ball landed on the inexperienced however instantly rolled off the false entrance and again into the green. “What the hell?” Rahm muttered whereas trying again down on the turf.

That has been the story of this Masters for Jon Rahm.

He arrived as one of many pre-tournament favorites. He has completed 2-2-1-5-2 in his 5 begins on LIV Golf this 12 months, and all the Strokes Gained metrics pointed to Rahm’s recreation being in prime form, again to the extent that noticed him triumph at Augusta in 2023 and serve as a fixed presence on main leaderboards. Over the previous two seasons, since his transfer to LIV Golf, Rahm’s main file has been confounding. He has three prime 10s in seven begins, however just one — the 2025 PGA Championship — noticed him really contend on the again 9 on Sunday. That day at Quail Hollow, Rahm stated it was the “most fun” he’d had on a golf course in a whereas. Rahm did not win in any respect in 2025 — not on LIV, the DP World Tour or at a main. He stated there was a downside in his takeaway that he rectified throughout a three-month break on the finish of 2025 and that he lastly felt like himself. The outcomes and the info prompt that Jon Rahm was again to being Jon Rahm. That he could be a issue at this Masters.

Then got here Thursday’s first spherical, the place Rahm shot a head-scratching, six-over 78 with zero birdies. He was 11 photographs again of the leaders earlier than the solar set, and his Masters hopes have been successfully dashed after a spherical the place his swing deserted him.

“It’s a hard golf course,” Rahm stated after his first spherical. “Some of the players might have been able to manage a respectable round, but when you have no feel with the swing whatsoever, it’s just not an easy one.”

Rahm hit 20 vary balls out of “frustration” on Thursday and then rebounded with a two-under 70 on Friday to make the minimize. But he entered the weekend 16 photographs again of Rory McIlroy. Rahm stated “golf is golf” and disregarded the questions about why he was as soon as once more not contending at a main. He stated an “anomaly” with his swing led to a unhealthy begin and, whereas irritating, that is simply how golf is typically.

“I came in with the same expectations I came into any other major, any other tournament,” Rahm stated after capturing one over on Saturday to e book an early morning tee time on Sunday. “Not any higher or lower. If I knew the why [it hasn’t worked out]two things: Probably not going to say it right now, and I would have tried to avoid it if I knew the why I played the way I played so far.”

Rahm went out early on Sunday alongside Sergio Garcia. By the time McIlroy and co-leader Cameron Young arrived at the course, Rahm was well into his final round. On a gettable day, he went out in 32, making five birdies and two bogeys. I birdied 12 and 15 to get back to level par with three holes to play. He made a ho-hum par at 16 and then got up-and-down for par after a poor second shot on 17.

“I obtained away a lot of what to not do. Today was significantly better,” Rahm said on Sunday. “Crazy, same person, right? Even though I made some mistakes, I was able to rectify quite a few of them and have a good round.”

Then came an admission — Rahm has to alter some things as he looks toward the PGA Championship next month.

“Played actually unhealthy the 2 days. Shot two below on the second spherical, however that was about as good as I ought to have shot with how I was hitting it,” Rahm said. “Definitely some issues I’m going to vary going ahead. Preparation-wise and what to do.”

Standing on 18 tee at even par on Sunday, Rahm lets his last tee shot of the 2026 Masters fly. It began left on the fairway bunker and by no means left. “Oh start it further right; get a good lie,” Rahm barked at his ball as it soared by the Georgia sky. It landed within the face and Rahm was ultimately left with a prolonged, downhill putt for a closing par. It was a good vibe. As he approached the outlet, Rahm gestured for it to show proper. It did not, settling inches away from the cup.

He shook his head, tapped in for a ending bogey and rubbed his eyes. Major weeks carry weight for everybody; they’re even heavier for these whose legacies are on the road, who’ve designs on etching themselves into golf historical past. You solely get so many possibilities to place your self within the battle, to offer your self a shot to knock one off. This was speculated to be a kind of weeks for Jon Rahm.

Instead, he was left staring off into the Augusta sky after one other main had handed him by.