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Rahm, who placed t-23 last week and had two top 10s in four appearances last year, shot a 7-under 64 to take sole possession of the lead early in Round 1. Rahm’s scorecard consisted of seven birdies and zero bogeys.
The Tiger Woods Foundation sponsored event usually hosts one of the best non-major fields of the year, but with the schedule change for the Olympics moving it to the week after the U.S. Open, Rahm’s pro debut was one of the headline events even before his sterling round — especially when Jack Nicklaus gave him some humbling advice.
Rahm is the only player to win the Hogan Award, given to the season’s best college golfer, twice. He played collegiately at Arizona State, where he placed in the top 10 in all 13 of his starts last season.
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According to the Golf Channel, it took Arnold Palmer 17 professional seasons to pass $1.24 million in career PGA Tour earnings. Rahm could win $1.24 million with a win this week in his pro debut.
A lot of that can be attributed to the man hosting the tournament: Tiger Woods.
With the NBA Finals now complete, it will be worth tuning in to see how Rahm performs the rest of the week at Congressional.
