Rahm On Stolen Ball - '100% Sure I Saw The Two Kids That Stole It."
The Spaniard's golf ball was stolen on the final hole of his opening round, but luckily he was able to laugh it off and make birdie
Jon Rahm finished with a birdie to begin his US Open title defence with a one-under-par 69 at The Country Club, but he had to deal with his golf ball being stolen on the final hole.
Rahm's tee shot ended up in the rough and two kids picked up his ball and ran off, according to the Spaniard. "Yeah, yeah. Somebody, I'm pretty sure I know who it was," Rahm said on the stolen ball. "I recognized the two kids that were running the opposite way with a smile on their face. I am 100% sure I saw the two kids that stole it."
Rahm was able to replace his ball with no penalty under Rule 9, which states: "If a ball at rest is lifted or moved by anyone or any outside influence before the stroke is made, the ball must be replaced on its original spot."
VIDEO: THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT JON RAHM
The former World No.1 said that a spectator saw where his ball ended up so the process of replacing it was simple enough. "I'm just really happy somebody spotted the ball first. We knew exactly where it was," he said.
"Off the tee I was comfortable. I was past all the trees. It was downwind, and that's why it kind of took -- I wasn't trying to go that far left, but I was trying to take it over the trees and over the bunkers. After the free relief, I had 135 yards to the pin, in an area where the rough wasn't that thick. I don't think they expected anybody to hit it there or be around there, so I was able to drop it in an area that was a little downgrain, and I wasn't in jeopardy of carrying the bunker. That wasn't really a concern."
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Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: Titleist TSi2
Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1
Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: Srixon Z Star XV
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