After shooting a 1-over 72 in the first round of the 2023 RBC Heritage, Jon Rahm remembered he was Jon Rahm. The world No. 1 followed his underwhelming Round 1 with a 64 on Friday and rolled his way all the way back to a T15 finish at Harbour Town in his first PGA Tour start since winning the Masters one week ago.
Rahm, clearly exhausted from what last week took out of him emotionally, nearly climbed his way back into the tournament after the poor start but shot 69-68 on the weekend. The position he found himself in following Round 1 was too much to overcome, however, in a designated event that featured nearly every one of the best players in the world.
Still, Rahm was pleased with how his first week as a green jacket owner unfolded. A Masters celebration, he said, is scheduled for Tuesday.
“I can’t help but be proud of what I’ve done this week,” said Rahm. “To come here, I know the expectations weren’t really high to the public, but in my mind every time I tee it up I’m going to try to do my best. After a shaky first round, to play as good as I have — I played really good on the weekend, I just didn’t make the putts. [To] give myself a chance to even get close to the top 10, it’s great.
Rahm finished first in approach shots this week and seventh from tee to green. It was his short game that suffered a bit, which is what you would expect the week after a draining major championship. Still, Rahm’s T15 is his seventh top 15 in 10 starts so far in 2023.
“Last week was a very stressful week, but it always is,” he said. “But the way the weekend unfolded, all the restarts, the rain, the wind, it was very draining. There were 30 holes on Sunday; I was exhausted.
“You’re not really expecting to play usually after a week like that, especially after a major, and to come here and, to be honest, feel as good as I did — besides the first day, I felt pretty good out there on the golf course,” Rahm added. “I’m kind of surprised. I kind of saw what I’m capable of. Again, had I been able to manage that first round to make a few better putts inside 10 feet, not that I would have won, but I would have had a really good chance at a top 10 or maybe top 5 and put myself at least in the conversation.”
Regardless of the finish, the reception for Rahm as a Masters champion was different at Harbour Town this week. Even though he’s the same elite player, that’s what happens when you win a green jacket.
“This is leaps past anything that I’ve felt before,” said Rahm. “Obviously when I go to Spain, I get ovations and I get moments like this in my home country. I don’t get to play there often. But to do it here on U.S. soil and see the recognition from the crowd and the kids, it only validates the decision to come here this week and make them really happy.
“It’s all smiles for me today, and I’m going to go enjoy my afternoon off.”
The two-time major winner didn’t exactly have the afternoon off, though. He threw a headset on at the end of the CBS broadcast following his round and talked viewers through the closing stretch with Matt Fitzpatrick, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Cantlay battling for the victory. Though commentating isn’t his full-time job, Rahm did an unbelievable job delivering detail and adding to the presentation of the golf. It received universal praise on social media.
Analyst Trevor Immelman even asked Rahm how long until he put up his clubs.
“I’m beyond addicted to this game,” said Rahm. “I always say I’ll take some time off and tomorrow you’ll see me chipping in the afternoon.”