Jon Rahm survives 4-putt double-bogey start, shares Masters lead

AUGUSTA, Ga. — On his way to the second tee Thursday at the Masters, Jon Rahm thought of the famous quote from his Spanish idol, Seve Ballesteros, who once four-putted at Augusta and said, «I miss, I miss, I miss, I make.»

«If you're going to make a double or four-putt, it might as well be the first hole — 71 holes to make it up,» Rahm said.

That he did.

Rahm opened with a four-putt double bogey, then followed with seven birdies and an eagle to finish at 7-under 65 to join Viktor Hovland and Brooks Koepka atop a leaderboard filled with red numbers and the ominous «weather warning» signs that figure to play a big role this week at the Masters.

Rahm's 65 was the lowest score in Masters history by anyone who started with a double bogey.

A bad forecast has been talked about almost as much as how 18 players from Saudi-backed LIV Golf would perform amid the high-stakes pressure of a major over 72 holes with a cut.

Hovland was among the early starters and played bogey-free, the highlight a 25-foot eagle putt on the second hole and being 7 under through 13 holes until he cooled at the end. The Norwegian star also stood out for other reasons. The azaleas are starting to lose their color from an early bloom. Hovland made up for it with his shirt.

«It's definitely a little bit out there,» Hovland said. «But I think I'd rather take these than the pink pants I had last year. So we're making progress.»

Koepka had two birdies in his opening three holes and never really slowed, finishing with back-to-back birdies to finish off his 65. He is coming off a victory Sunday in LIV Golf, making him the first multiple winner in the fledgling circuit.

The warm, muggy air and relatively soft greens allowed for good scores for just about everyone.