Here’s a shot you don’t see every day.
Jon Rahm was sailing along early in his opening round at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, when he arrived at the par-4 2nd hole. He piped a drive and then wedged an approach from 100 yards.
And that’s when it happened.
Rahm’s ball struck a ball on the green on the fly, and at first glance it appeared that Rahm’s ball ricocheted off the back of the putting surface, prompting the Golf Channel TV announcer to declare it “about as bad a break as you will ever see.” The other ball belonged to his playing partner Xander Schauffele, who had stuck his approach to about 6 feet. Here’s the highlight:
But as it turned out, it was Schauffele’s ball that was knocked off the green, and under the rules of golf, Xander was allowed to replace it to its original spot. Rahm still caught a slightly bad break, as his ball caromed about 30 feet from the hole and under the rules he had to play it from that spot. Rahm went on to two-putt and Schauffele also made par, so the moment will forever be remembered (if it’s even remembered) as a goofy footnote in a sport filled with them. Rahm went on to shoot a 4-under 67 in his opening round and Schauffele fired a 68, and if either guy contends this weekend you might see this shot replayed a few more times on the telecast.
