Jon Rahm has not had a good start this Wednesday in the World Match Play. The Barrika player has lost against Rickie Fowler in his first match in group 2 and will be forced to carry out his next duels and wait for Fowler’s stumble to aspire to a leadership that grants the only access place for the round of 16 .
Fowler has taken the victory by 2 and 1 in a day in which Rahm has shown himself to have many problems in the putt. A very fast start by the player from Barrika, who has gone two up on three holes and who, since then, has seen how his finishing problems condemned him to a defeat that leaves him with no margin of chance, did not portend a similar day.
mistake facing this Thursday. It will be then and on Friday, with his next duels against Keith Mitchell (this Thursday at 4:26 p.m.) and Billy Horschel, where he must win while waiting for Fowler to fail to try to assault that first place.
Rahm has added five birdies and three bogeys during his round. Not only have those errors penalized him, but he alone has been able to win one of the five holes in which he has been below par. His return has countered with the five birdies and a bogey by Fowler, who in the same way has only been able to add one hole won with his birdies, but who has benefited from one of Rahm’s errors (in the par four of 15).
to take another that has been decisive.
Jon Rahm, results
Rahm hasn’t had the best day for him on the green. He started without being able to convert a long putt for birdie on the par four of the 1, but he signed the par and took advantage of a shot to the Fowler bunker to move one up.
The Spaniard extended his lead on hole 3 (par four, birdie) after a great approach and one of his best putts of the afternoon. However, then began a change in trend. Fowler forgave on hole 4 after missing a great birdie option, but he did respond to the shots won by Rahm on holes 5 and 6.
With the two misses on the green from hole 7 onwards, it was Rahm who paid the most after leaving a complicated long putt in the par four of 8 (bogey) and in the par of 11 (another bogey). Fowler did not need to be successful in that facet, since without great birdie options he went back from that two down after the 3rd hole to the tie after the 11th.
Rahm couldn’t change his trend. On hole 12, par five, the distant positions of both on arrival on the green resulted in two putts for Fowler due to the ‘tri-kick’ of the Spaniard, who was placed one down. When Barrika’s man found the birdie at 13, Fowler responded.
Thus, a bogey from Rahm in a fateful 15, with another three putts necessary to close with a bogey, signed the sentence for Fowler, who with 2 up and 3 ahead only had to respond to Jon’s rhythm to sign his victory by 2 and 1.
In this way, Fowler is placed as the group leader with his victory, while Rahm closes it with defeat and with the obligation to win his next two games to opt for the first place in the group with full guarantees. Still, you’ll have to wait for Fowler to slow down in a group that Billy Horschel and Keith Mitchell drew level on day one.
For his part, Scottie Scheffler, champion in The Players and defending champion, started with a one-hole victory against Davis Riley in group 1. His group is completed by Tom Kim and the Swede Alex Noren, with the first one winning by two up and one to play.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, third favourite, won by three up and two by playing Scott Stallings, while Keegan Bradley and Denny McCarthy drew level. The tournament, belonging to the world series, is the only one on the PGA calendar that is played under the ‘match play’ format with direct knockouts.
The clashes of the sixteen groups will take place until Friday, on Saturday the round of 16 and the quarterfinals will be played, while the semifinals, final and match for third place will be played on Sunday.
Source: Tennis World USA
