Jon Rahm came in as the favorite for the Masters. He left with questions and confessions
Jon Rahm stood in the middle of the 17th fairway Sunday at Augusta National and sent his approach shot to the pin. The two-time major champion was 16 under and hoping to finish with a bang.
But that wasn’t the story of Jon Rahm’s 2026 Masters.
The ball left his club, and the 2023 champion began barking at it. “Go! Go!” The ball landed on the green but bounced off the front and back into the fairway. “What’s going on?” Rahm sighed as he looked down at the place.
That it was the story of the Jon Rahm Masters.
He came in as one of the pre-tournament favourites. He finished 2-2-1-5-2 in his five appearances at LIV Golf this year, and all of the Strokes Gained metrics indicated that Rahm’s game is on a high, returning to the level that saw him win Augusta in 2023 and serve as a regular on the leaderboards. In the past two seasons, since his move to LIV Golf, Rahm’s major record has been confusing. He has three top 10s in seven, but only one – the 2025 PGA Championship – has seen him truly contend on the back nine on Sunday. That day at Quail Hollow, Rahm said was “the most fun” he’s had on the golf course in a long time. Rahm didn’t win at all in 2025 – not on the LIV, the DP World Tour or the top one. He said there was a problem with his take and he fixed it during the three-month break at the end of 2025 and he finally felt like himself. Results and data suggested that Jon Rahm is back to being Jon Rahm. That you will have an impact on this Masters.
Then came Thursday’s first round, in which Rahm shot a head-first, six-over 78 with zero birdies. He was 11 shots off the lead before sunset, and his Championship hopes were dashed after a round where his swing abandoned him.
“It’s a tough golf course,” Rahm said after his first round. “Some players might be able to manage a decent round, but if you don’t know anything about swinging, it’s not easy.”
Rahm shot 20 out of “frustration” on Thursday and then carded a two-under 70 on Friday to make the cut. But he entered the weekend 16 shots behind Rory McIlroy. Rahm said “golf is golf” and dismissed questions about why he won’t compete in a major again. He said a “distraction” with his swing led to a bad start and, while frustrating, that’s how golf is sometimes.
“I came in with the same confidence that I come into any other major tournament, any other tournament,” Rahm said after hitting one shot Saturday to book a tee time Sunday morning. “Not higher or lower, if I knew why [it hasn’t worked out]two things: I probably wouldn’t say it right now, and I would try to avoid it if I knew why I’m playing the way I’ve been playing so far.”
Rahm went out early Sunday morning with Sergio Garcia. By the time McIlroy and fellow leader Cameron Young arrived on the course, Rahm had entered his final round. On an expected day, he carded 32, making five birdies and two bogeys. He shot 12 and 15 to get back to par with three holes to play. He made a ho-hum par at 16 and then went up and down for par after a poor second shot at 17.
“I don’t do a lot. Today was a lot better,” Rahm said Sunday. “You’re crazy, the same person, aren’t you? Although I made some mistakes, I was able to correct a few of them and had a good round.”
Then came the admission – Rahm has to make some changes as he heads into next month’s PGA Championship.
“I’ve played really bad these two days. I shot two under in the second round, but that was about as good as I’ve been hitting,” Rahm said. “Definitely some things I will change going forward. In terms of preparation and what I have to do.”
Standing on the 18th tee even on Sunday, Rahm let his final shot of the 2026 Masters fly. It started left in the fairway bunker and didn’t go. “Oh good start; get a good lie,” Rahm barked at his ball as it flew through the Georgia sky. It landed on the face and Rahm ended up with a long, downhill putt to close. It was a good roll. As it approached the ditch, Rahm motioned for it to turn right. It didn’t happen, settling inches away from the cup.
He shook his head, entered the finishing block and rubbed his eyes. The great churches bear the weight of everyone; they are even heavier for those whose legacies are on the line, who have designs on putting themselves in golf history. You only get so many chances to put yourself in a fight, to give yourself a shot to hit one. This had to be one of those Jon Rahm weeks.
Instead, he was left facing the Augusta sky after another big one passed him.
