MADRID — Jon Rahm and Shane Lowry struggled of their return to motion after serving to Europe win the Ryder Cup, with Rahm briefly arguing with a marshal who tried to cheer him up through the Spanish Open on Thursday.
After his drive discovered the left tough on the par-4 eighth gap, Rahm noticed his lie and began complaining: “What a day, what a day,” he mentioned, adopted by an expletive.
The marshal who marked his ball mentioned “It is OK,” and Rahm instantly checked out him and mentioned: “Do not inform me it is OK, please. Thanks.”
The marshal apologized as he walked away, whereas Rahm continued complaining: “It isn’t OK.”
Rahm made a par on the outlet, however then bogeyed the subsequent — his final of the day — to complete with a spherical of 1-over 72. He holed a bunker shot for an eagle on the par-5 14th, however his spherical included just one birdie and 4 bogeys.
Rahm performed in the identical group as Lowry, who made the clinching Ryder Cup putt for the Europeans in New York final month, when the raucous house crowd tormented the European gamers from the beginning. Rahm mentioned whereas in Madrid that the Ryder Cup was the hardest week mentally of his profession.
Lowry shot a 4-over 75 in his opening spherical on the Membership de Campo Villa de Madrid. The Irishman had six bogeys and two birdies.
The clubhouse leaders had been Englishman Marco Penge and Frenchman Frederic Lacroix, who shot rounds of 5-under 66.
Rahm is attempting to win a file fourth Spanish Open title and surpass Seve Ballesteros because the match’s most profitable golfer because the creation of the European tour in 1972. Rahm is making his seventh look in Madrid, together with his victories coming in 2018, 2019 and 2022. He was runner-up to fellow Spaniard Angel Hidalgo in a playoff final yr.
Ballesteros gained the final of his 50 titles on the European tour on the Spanish Open in 1995.
It’s the first time the match affords an automated spot in subsequent yr’s Masters and the Open Championship to the winner.
World No. 1 tennis participant Carlos Alcaraz, additionally a Spaniard, was amongst these following Rahm in Thursday’s opening spherical in Madrid.
