Jon Rahm Is 17 Shots Back and Already Talking Miracles at the Masters

Jon Rahm's week at Augusta has been a disaster, and he's not hiding from it anymore. The 2023 Masters champion limped to 50th place on Saturday after carding a 5-over through three rounds, sitting 17 shots behind leader Rory McIlroy with one round left to play. Bogeys at holes 5, 11, 14, and 18 capped off a third-round 73 that started with promise before completely falling apart on the back nine.

What makes this collapse especially brutal is how close Rahm came to not even sticking around. He had to battle just to make the cut after that brutal first-round 78, then salvaged things Friday with a 70. The third round? It started solid. Birdies on holes one and three had him sitting at 2-under before the implosion took over. By the time he bogeyed the 18th with his third five on a par-4 hole on the back nine, the damage was done.

The LIV Adjustment and a Putting Problem Nobody Saw Coming

Rahm didn't shy away from explaining what went wrong. He's been spending his year competing in LIV Golf events, where he posted 17 top-five finishes in his first 30 events. But transitioning back to major championship golf at Augusta is clearly a different animal. "Golf is golf," he insisted when pressed about the switch, but his scorecard told a different story.

The culprit? Putting, which Rahm acknowledged hasn't been sharp. He's even resorted to putting the line the last two days, something he rarely does. During the third round's back-nine collapse, he was essentially experimenting, trying different feels and approaches in competition when he had nothing left to lose. "Once things are not going well enough, is you can start trying things just to see how it feels or how you can do it in competition, right?" Rahm said. That's what Saturday looked like: a golfer testing mechanics when the tournament was already lost.

What's Left and What's Coming

Rahm is now tied with fellow LIV circuit member Sergio Garcia heading into Sunday's final round. He knows the odds are brutal. A 77th career top-10 finish looks impossible from here, and even a 107th top-25 finish would require what he called "an absolute miracle." Friday he said he was "too far away." Saturday proved it.

The good news for Rahm? He's got bigger stages ahead. The PGA Championship is May 14-18 at Aronimink, and he's got two top-10 finishes in 10 career starts there. The U.S. Open follows in June at Shinnecock Hills, where Rahm won the trophy in 2021. This Masters disaster might sting, but it's not the final word on his major championship season. Yet.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.