Jon Rahm woke up on Friday morning with some work to do at the PGA Championship.
After shooting a round of 73 on Thursday, the Spaniard was sitting in the 60s on the leaderboard and in danger of missing the cut at Southern Hills in Tulsa. That became an even tougher challenge when the infamous Oklahoma wind came sweeping down the plains and created a some absurd playing conditions at the start of Day 2.
Or at least it should’ve been a challenge. For Rahm (+5700 to win outright at Tipico), the gusts actually seemed to help him dial in his game. Look no further than this absolute bomb he hit off the tee at the par-four No. 1 after starting his day on the back nine.
… and Rahm sends one 418 yards. That's the longest drive of the week so far 🔥#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/8iHioN8Fuz
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 20, 2022
Four hundred and eighteen yards. Into the wind. Jon Rahm, you must be joking.
Granted, we know the 27-year-old can destroy the ball. His 316-yard driving average is fifth-best on tour this year. But what he did at the No. 1 tee box was a full football field further than he usually hits.
And it wasn’t a one-off, either. His first shot at the par-four No. 16 went 391 yards despite cutting through a crosswind. Even the camera operators are having trouble tracking Rahm’s drives.
The camera couldn't keep up 😂
A 391-yard drive for @JonRahmPGA. pic.twitter.com/XV27SEAfIO
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 20, 2022
Whoever said “swing easy when it’s breezy” apparently never got a chance to pass the advice along to Rahm. Either that or Rahm is the exception who proves the rule.
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