NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — It was a day of contrasting firsts for LIV Golf stars Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau at the PGA Championship, the season's second major, held at Aronimink Golf Club.
Rahm electrified the crowd on the par-4 second hole by holing his second shot from 98 yards, marking the very first eagle of his PGA Championship career. This achievement came in his tenth start at this major, after playing 576 holes without an eagle.
"Even though I'm feeling pretty young, I'm feeling pretty old at the same time," Rahm remarked before the tournament. "Hard to believe it's been a decade of majors already."
Off the course, Rahm faces uncertainty as LIV Golf's funding from the Saudi investment fund is set to end after this season. When asked about the league's financial troubles, Rahm said, "What I can focus on is the next shot. It's the people in charge of LIV, whose job I do not envy for a second. It's their job to fix it. Until that plan is explained to us, it's essentially, not that there isn't anything to worry about, but I don't think I need to add any attention to it."
DeChambeau's Tough Day
For Rahm's LIV colleague DeChambeau, Thursday was less positive. The big-hitting showman failed to record a birdie through his first 14 holes, the longest birdie drought to start a tournament in his PGA Championship career.
DeChambeau struggled with Aronimink's thick rough and became the first victim of the treacherous 11th green. His 30-foot birdie putt sailed 57 feet past the hole, nearly rolling off the green. Through 14 holes, DeChambeau was four-over par, while Rahm stood at even-par through 13 holes.
