How a penalty helped Jon Rahm win the BMW Championship

[ad_1]

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – The only thing that went wrong for Jon Rahm over the weekend at Olympia Fields was the poker chip he uses as a ball marker.

Rahm’s inexplicable mental blunder on the fifth hole during the third round of the BMW Championship, where he picked up his ball without first marking it, cost the Spaniard a shot. It also proved to be his lone dropped shot over the final two rounds, as Rahm roared from the pack to win the season’s penultimate event in a playoff over Dustin Johnson.

Rahm professed only one hope while explaining his mental lapse after the third round: just don’t let me lose by one shot. And he admitted that the penalty fiasco entered his mind just one time during the final round – once Johnson hit the 72nd green in regulation, needing a birdie to tie.

“I was like, ‘That extra shot cushion would be extremely nice right now, I’m not going to lie,’” Rahm said. “But at the same time, it happened. And I don’t know if I would have won had it not happened.”


BMW Championship: Full-field scores | Full coverage


While Johnson ultimately rolled in his lengthy birdie try to force a playoff, Rahm won with a 66-foot bomb of his own on the first playoff hole. While that stroke will be the one most remembered from this week outside Chicago, Rahm insisted that the most important one came during the third round: a 6-footer for bogey on that fifth green after taking his one-shot penalty. He rolled in that putt and proceeded to play his next 32 holes in 10 under, including the decisive birdie in overtime.

“It kind of made me mad at myself, and I just went on with my focus after that and was able to play amazing golf and stayed aggressive,” Rahm said. “I can tell you that after that two-putt, making that 6-footer for bogey, I was like, ‘OK, that’s it. No more playing around, let’s go.’ That’s kind of what mentally did it for me.”

[ad_2]

Source: GolfChannel

Related Posts

LPGA debuting its own behind-the-scenes documentary

Bryson DeChambeau on Dude Perfect video: ‘Times are changing’

Bryson DeChambeau on Dude Perfect – AUGUSTA, Ga. – Count Bryson DeChambeau among those who was surprised Augusta National green-lit the now viral Dude Perfect video. “Everybody was,” DeChambeau said…

Read more
LPGA debuting its own behind-the-scenes documentary

Brooks Koepka has inkling of what Tiger Woods faces in return at Augusta National

Brooks Koepka – AUGUSTA, Ga. – Brooks Koepka at least has some semblance of an idea of what Tiger Woods is facing this week at Augusta National. Last year, it…

Read more
LPGA debuting its own behind-the-scenes documentary

Fred Couples happy to be getting Tiger Woods texts again at Masters

[ad_1] AUGUSTA, Ga. – Fred Couples has become a regular practice round partner of Tiger Woods at the Masters, but as this year’s tournament approached he didn’t expect to hear…

Read more
LPGA debuting its own behind-the-scenes documentary

Collin Morikawa much better at making golf history than recalling it

[ad_1] Collin Morikawa wants to make history. Remembering it, however, is a different story. Morikawa won two majors, the PGA Championship and The Open, prior to turning 25. He’s the…

Read more
LPGA debuting its own behind-the-scenes documentary

Watch: Masters tweets video of Tiger Woods’ Sunday practice round

[ad_1] Tiger Woods arrived at Augusta National on Sunday afternoon after tweeting that competing in the 86th Masters Tournament would be a “game-time decision.” Woods, around 3:20 p.m. ET, warmed up…

Read more
LPGA debuting its own behind-the-scenes documentary

Drive, Chip and Putt recap: Bubba Watson fan Autumn Solesbee among winners

[ad_1] AUGUSTA, Ga. – Waiting for Autumn Solesbee under the iconic oak tree behind Augusta National’s clubhouse was Bubba Watson. As a former Masters champion, Watson has become a regular…

Read more

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *