Former world No.1 Jon Rahm has apologised to a volunteer official after a grass divot he scooped in a moment of frustration smoked him in the face.
On the seventh hole during the first round of the PGA Championship, Rahm’s second shot flew the green. In a moment of frustration, he swiped his club at the ground and took a divot, which hit the volunteer in the face and shoulder.
Rahm immediately rushed over to apologise to the official, who was uninjured.
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The LIV star finished the day at 1-under, two shots back from the leading group of seven players which includes current world No.1 Scottie Scheffler and Aussie Min Woo Lee.
Speaking to media after the round, Rahm said he “couldn’t feel any worse”.
Former world No.1 Jon Rahm was forced to apologise after divot taken in a moment of frustration hit a volunteer. PGA Championship
“I got a flyer on my second shot that went long. It’s not a good spot,” he explained.
“Just out of frustration, I tried to make an air swing, just over the grass, and I wasn’t looking, took a divot, and unfortunately, I hit a volunteer … in the shoulder and then the face.
“I couldn’t feel any worse. That’s why I was there apologising.”
Rahm said he intended to do more to apologise to the official.
“I need to somehow track him down to give him a present because that’s inexcusable and for something that could be completely avoidable,” he said.
Rahm signed for a 1-under round to sit two back from the leaders. Getty
“Whether it was my intention or not, it was just not good.”
In the week leading up to the tournament, there were widespread concerns the course would play too easy, with poor shots unpunished.
But those concerns were allayed when the leaders – five of which played in the morning before the winds picked up – got to the clubhouse only 3-under. Only 33 players in the field of 156 are under-par after the first round.
After his round, Rahm was asked what made the course so hard, and expressed shock to learn of the expectations for low scores.
“People thought it would be lower? Have you been out there? Have you seen the golf course?,” he said.
“You know what, I can understand, because if you just go by some of the numbers, some of the fairways are wide, the greens aren’t crazy-firm.
“But a lot of those fairways are sloped in a way that they play very narrow.”
Rahm said there were three holes he was sure his tee shot had found the fairway, only to later find it had rolled off and into the rough.
“Then the rough doesn’t look as long as many other majors, but it’s such a thick blade of grass that even when the lie looks okay, it catches (the club) so bad,” he explained.
“I can see how in appearance it might be easier, but it’s not. You need to play really good golf to shoot lower than 3-under.
“Then on top of that, those pin locations today are good ones. I mean, they’re tucked. They’re not easy.”
Rahm then said the PGA might have responded to the concerns by instructing the groundskeepers to make the course harder. It can be achieved by mowing fairways shorter, as well as heavily watering and not mowing roughs.
“If the golf course stays like this and it keeps firming up … it’s not going to be anything like (the really low scores),” he said.
The second round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club continues on Friday evening (AEST).