Rahm's Valiant Sunday Rally Undone by Late Mistakes at PGA Championship

Jon Rahm was brilliant on Sunday at Quail Hollow, looking comfortable and in his element through 12 holes of the 107th PGA Championship. But several bad bounces, mental mistakes, and poor swings on the back nine ultimately dashed his hopes of a third major title. His 2-over-73 left him with a T-8 finish and questions about what could have been had he closed in his usual manner.

“I think it's the first time I've been in position to win a major that close and haven't done it,” Rahm said. “The only times I think I've been in the lead in a major on a Sunday, I've been able to close it out, and this is a very different situation. So I don't know exactly. But if it's ever a time, that's what family's for is the best. Luckily, I'm going to get home maybe on time to get the kids to bed or not.”

The 30-year-old impressed to get into contention, starting Sunday five shots behind eventual winner Scottie Scheffler at 6-under par. By the 11th hole, he was tied for the lead at 9-under par with Scheffler thanks to a three-birdie in four-hole charge to match the World No. 1.

Rahm then ran into a tough stretch to finish his round on the 13^th through 15^th, the course’s final easing before the difficult Green Mile. On the par-3 13th he lipped out a twenty-five-footer for birdie. On the drivable 14th he missed a needed five-foot birdie putt. On the par-5 15^th Rahm couldn’t get up-and-down from behind the green. The Green Mile is where Rahm veered off course.

Rahm finished the three-hole closing stretch in a shocking 5-over par. The back-breaking mistake came on the par-3 17th tee box, when he pulled his iron shot left of the green. Rahm's ball bounded into the lake, taking his tournament chances with him en route to a deflating double bogey. He found water off the tee again on the 18^th, leading to another double bogey and tumbling down the leaderboard. It was a challenging finish that was hard to see coming once from his early round form.

“A lot of positives to take from this week,” Rahm said. “Pretty fresh wound right now. But there's been a lot of good happening this week and a lot of positive feelings to take for the rest of the year.”

The Spaniard viewed the mishaps on Nos. 14 and 15 as the most costly, considering he was so close to the top of the leaderboard at the time.
“If there's ever a time where it felt like it was slipping away to an extent, it was not birdieing 14 and 15; that was definitely the mistake, before, obviously, finishing poorly,” Rahm said.

Rahm reflected on the lost major opportunity by maintaining perspective on what matters most to him­ — being a husband and father of three and his caring presence back home.

“To them, whatever I did today, win or lose, they don't care. So that's always a good perspective,” Rahm smiled.