Jon Rahm has struggled at major championships lately, with just one top-10 and one missed cut in his last four starts. However, he is confident he can buck that trend this weekend at the PGA Championship.
After 36 holes, Rahm is tied for 27th place, six shots behind leader Jhonattan Vegas. It’s a position he feels comfortable in as he looks to make further progress over the weekend.
“I think I’m in good position,” he said after the round. “Adding to the fact that I feel like I’m getting better, more confident with the swing. I made a lot of good swings out there today and gave myself plenty of chances.”
The Spaniard was even encouraged by the fact that Tyrrell Hatton and Tom McKibbin, two of his Legion XIII LIV Golf teammates, were not far behind on the leaderboard. Both Hatton and McKibbin finished the first 36 holes on 1-under.
“I was going to say if we all play together tomorrow I can get some music maybe,” he joked.
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But his biggest source of confidence is that while he has yet to find his best golf at Quail Hollow, he feels that profound improvement is within his grasp.
“If I can start the first few holes better than I played so far, make a few birdies and get a round going and post something around 3-, 4-under, which I don’t feel like it’s something too much to ask. I feel like, believe it or not, it’s doable,” he said.
Rahm’s performance in the second round of the PGA Championship included two birdies and one bogey on the front nine and par on every hole on the back nine. His score (1-under for the round) allowed him to climb two spots on the leaderboard.
A day earlier, Rahm posted the same score, but in a much more eventful round that included five birdies and four bogeys. The back nine was also his best stretch, as he finished it bogey-free with two birdies.
The two-time major champion is currently the third-highest ranked LIV Golf player on the leaderboard, behind Richard Bland and Bryson DeChambeau, who are tied for 17th on 3-under. Five other members of the Saudi-backed league made the cut.
This is Rahm’s ninth start in the PGA Championship, where he has two top-10 finishes. His best finish has been a tie for fourth in 2018. He has missed the cut twice, most recently in 2024.
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