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The latter half of Jon Rahm’s 2021 does not seem to be going as planned. Following his second-ranked finish at the Tour Championship, the World No. 1 has been struggling on the course.

After his appearance at the Open de Espana, Rahm made it back to the European Tour with the Andalucia Masters, where he opened with his worst score in 2021.

Despite his efforts to stay on top, the World No. 1 is yet to play a good event. He started his PGA Tour season with the Fortinet Championship, where he missed the cut.

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Jon Rahm fails to perform at the Andalucia Masters

As per reports, this is equal to Rahm’s worst score in his entire career since he turned professional in 2016. The 26-year-old scored seven over 78. Rahm was touted to be one of the favorites to win the event. While Rahm did finish 17th at the Spanish Open, his performance in Valderrama was unexpected.

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Additionally, he failed to score a birdie, finding only four airways on the tee during the first round. He had five bogeys and one double-bogey. Julien Guerrier, currently leading, scored four-under 67. Rahm is now 11 strokes behind Guerrier.

Why did Rahm score so low in Valderrama?

Guerrier, on the other hand, scored six birdies and two bogeys, working his way to the top.

Having said that, Rahm’s issue could have been the course. The Valderrama Golf Course is seen as demanding, not leaving any room for breaks. Precision is key as players take on this course, one is bound to make errors. However, Rahm’s Round 2 could look much better. Rahm himself has admitted that the historic course is difficult. “You can’t hide”. 

Rahm signs autographs after his Round 1 78

Despite his performance, Rahm earned praise and appreciation for waiting and signing autographs. People pointed out that the CJ Cup in Las Vegas has a much bigger price purse, but Rahm choosing to play for the European Tour only shows how one can never forget where he is from.