Jon Rahm shows promise of big year with hot start at Farmers Insurance Open
Jon Rahm starts the Farmers Insurance Open with a near course record round of 62 on Thursday.
Jon Rahm has come a long way since he first showed up at the Farmers Insurance Open in 2017. Back then, Rahm was the 137th ranked player in the world in his first full season on the PGA Tour. He went on to win by three shots that week for his first career win, announcing that he was a young star on the rise.
Now Rahm is seventh in the world rankings and is well positioned to add a second title at Torrey Pines to his resume. The 24-year-old Spaniard shot 10-under 62, tying his career-low round, on the North Course on Thursday to take the first opening-round lead.
Rahm couldn’t have asked for a better start to his tournament, making eagle on the par-five 10th hole, his first of the day. He added another eagle then holed a 30-foot putt for birdie at the 18th to go out in seven-under. He made four straight birdies on holes 5-8 on the back-nine before just missing a short birdie at the par-five ninth that would have tied the course record of 61.
Rahm hasn’t won on the PGA Tour since capturing his second career title at the Desert Classic last January, but he comes into the Farmers Insurance this week as perhaps the hottest golfer on tour. He’s finished inside the top-10 of his last four events, including a four-shot victory at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December. He’s currently fifth on tour in strokes gained: off the tee, and says his driver is the key to his solid play lately.
“I think the one thing that’s consistent with my game, especially in the last few tournaments…is my driving,” he told Golf Channel after his round on Thursday. “It’s never too bad…And then my iron play has been a lot better than earlier on in the year. When I put it in the fairway and give myself chances, whether I putt good or bad, I’m never going to shoot too high.”
Rahm admits that strength with the driver plays to his advantage at Torrey Pines and explains the success he’s had in this event.
“It’s definitely a golf course that suits my strengths,” he said. “You’ve got to strike it well off the tee and really well with the irons, and that’s what I did all day.”
The strong start to this tournament isn’t just an indicator of how well he plays at Torrey Pines. Rahm is a player with the promise of having a big year in 2019. He already has two top-10s in majors to his credit, both fourth-place finishes at the Masters and PGA Championship last year, and will go into the majors this time as one of the favorites. A win this week in San Diego will go a long way towards getting his season off to a good start.
To do that, however, Rahm is going to have to overcome World No. 1 Justin Rose, who sits just a shot behind after the opening round. Thursday at Torrey Pines also marked the 2019 debut of seven-time champion Tiger Woods. Woods opened with a two-under 70, salvaging a good round with a 30-footer for birdie at the 13th and an 11-foot birdie putt at his closing hole.
Woods, though, was playing the South Course, the tougher of the two courses at Torrey Pines. The South Course played more than two shots harder than the North on Thursday, and all players in the top-five started the tournament on the easier circuit.
The situation will reverse on Friday when the players switch courses. That will give players like Woods a chance to close the gap on the leaders, but with how Rahm is playing lately, that won’t be easy.