Jon Rahm starts four shots behind the leader

The LIV circuit lands in Australia this week for the Adelaide tournament, with Jon Rahm once again spearheading the Spanish contingent. The Barrika native has started from a shared tenth position, trailing the first-round leader, Japanese golfer Jinichiro Kozuma, by four strokes.

Jon Rahm, results

Rahm sits at -5 relative to the par 72 of the course after the first round, while Kozuma surged ahead to -9. Behind Kozuma, New Zealander Danny Lee and Mexican Carlos Ortiz share the second spot at -8. Tied for third at -7 are Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri, Americans Andy Ogletree and Peter Uihlein, and Chilean Mito Pereira. Sergio García is in thirty-fifth place at -1, David Puig is in fortieth place at par, and Eugenio López-Chacarra is in fifty-second place at +3.

Rahm’s first round featured seven birdies and two bogeys. The Spanish player initially struggled with putting but found his rhythm with a remarkable approach shot on the par-four 5th hole, securing his first birdie. Although he missed a chance on the 6th, he rallied with four consecutive birdies from the 7th to the 10th, even having opportunities for eagle on the par-five holes. However, his momentum waned with three consecutive pars before encountering difficulties on the 14th and 15th holes, resulting in bogeys. He managed to finish strong with birdies on the 17th and 18th holes, ending the round at -5 and remaining in contention.

Meanwhile, the other Spanish players started their campaign further back. Sergio García shares thirty-fifth place at -1 after a round with three birdies and two bogeys. David Puig sits at fortieth place at even par after three birdies and three bogeys. Eugenio López-Chacarra had a tougher day, finishing in fifty-second place at +3 after a round with five birdies but also four bogeys and two double-bogeys.

At the top, Kozuma delivered a flawless performance, carding an eagle on the par-five 7th hole and seven birdies for a commanding -9. He leads by one stroke over Lee, who also impressed with an eagle, seven birdies, and a bogey, and Ortiz, who finished at -8 with a bogey and nine birdies. The second round will take place on Saturday.