Rahm unfazed even after ball stolen by 2 kids

BOSTON • Jon Rahm had a solid start to his US Open title defence on Thursday, but it was not without drama as he needed two balls to finish his closing hole when two kids felt his initial one would make for a nice souvenir.

The Spaniard's tee shot at the par-four 18th sailed way left and when he got to where the ball was marked, it was nowhere to be found. Some onlookers figured it was better than anything they could buy from the merchandise tent that lines part of the hole.

"Somebody - I'm pretty sure I know who it was. I recognised the two kids that were running the opposite way with a smile on their face," a laughing Rahm said. "I am 100 per cent sure I saw the two kids that stole it."

The world No. 2 kept his cool and was allowed to drop another ball and from there, got to take another drop since a grandstand was in his way. He then stuck his approach shot to 21 feet and went on to drain the birdie putt for a one-under 69 that left him three shots behind first-round leader Adam Hadwin.

Rahm said: "I'm just really happy somebody spotted the ball first. We knew exactly where it was. Off the tee, I was comfortable. I was past all the trees. It was downwind... I wasn't trying to go that far left, but I was trying to take it over the trees and over the bunkers.

"After the free relief, I had 135 yards to the pin, in an area where the rough wasn't that thick. I don't think they expected anybody to hit it there or be around there, so I was able to drop it in an area that was a little downgrain, and I wasn't in jeopardy of carrying the bunker. That wasn't really a concern."

Another golfer who "lost" his gear - at least for a day - was Callum Tarren, who was joint-second on a 67. The Englishman nearly had to get a new set of clubs for the event after they were misplaced by an airline.

He flew into Boston from Toronto on Saturday but his clubs did not arrive until the next day, which was actually an improvement compared to 2019, when they did not arrive until the eve of his first US Open.

Tarren said the people he stayed with during last week's Canadian Open went to the airport to give "a little kick" to the airline staff.

"There were five other players on my flight. They all got golf clubs, so it was the second US Open I've played in and second time no golf clubs," he added.

REUTERS