Rahm unable to translate LIV success to Masters, opens with 78

AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 9 : Jon Rahm may be the hottest player on LIV Golf this season but the Spaniard was unable to carry that form into the Masters where he made a disastrous start to the year's first major on Thursday.

Rahm, who is currently sitting atop LIV's individual rankings with a win and three runner-up finishes in five events, looked dejected as he made his way around Augusta National while carding a birdie-less six-over-par 78 that left him searching for answers.

"It's a hard golf course," Rahm said on the layout where he won the 2023 Masters. "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."

The two-times major champion had four bogeys by the time he reached the turn and then ran into trouble at the par-five 13th where he turned a potential birdie into a double-bogey.

Rahm sent his approach shot from 176 yards into the azaleas but and was unable to find his ball. After taking a drop, he chipped to within 32 feet of the cup and then needed three putts from there to find the hole.

"I still don't know what happened, honestly," Rahm said about his second shot at the 13th. "To get so lucky off the tee, to have an eight-iron in my hand, I don't know, that ball came out 20 - about 10 yards left, 20 feet higher, and hooking in a way that I didn't expect.

"To make such a mistake from what could have been a good birdie look, it's a big problem. It's probably the part I'm the most upset at today."

Of the 10 LIV players in the starting Masters field of 91 golfers, Rahm came into the week as one of the ones considered to have the best chance. He finished the first round in a share of 73rd place and 11 shots back of