Jon Rahm vows to track down volunteer after incident at PGA Championship
Jon Rahm has pledged to locate a volunteer and present him with a gift following an accidental incident at the PGA Championship, where the former world No 1 struck the man in the face with a divot during the opening round at Aronimink Golf Club, reports BritPanorama.
The incident occurred after Rahm played a wayward approach shot to the seventh hole. In an expression of frustration, he attempted what he referred to as an “air swing.” Instead of a harmless gesture, his club connected with the ground, sending a chunk of earth towards a nearby tournament volunteer.
The clod of turf struck the volunteer on the shoulder before hitting him in the face. Rahm quickly approached the man to apologise and later expressed his remorse, stating, “I couldn’t feel any worse,” after finishing his opening round with a score of 69.
Rahm said, “I need to somehow track him down to give him a present because that’s inexcusable and for something that could be completely avoidable. Whether it was my intention or not, it was just not good.” He explained that his frustration stemmed from receiving an unexpected flyer that sent his second shot long of the target.
He clarified, “I got a flyer on my second shot that went long. It’s not a good spot. Just out of frustration, I tried to make an air swing, just over the grass, and I wasn’t looking, took a divot, and unfortunately, I hit a volunteer.” Fortunately, the incident did not appear to result in serious injury.
Rahm bounced back impressively, concluding the day with a three-under-par 69, positioning himself firmly in contention. A notable highlight of his round was a remarkable eagle on the second hole, executed with a hole-out from the fairway. “It was a phenomenal shot, a really good wedge shot,” he said, acknowledging his earlier bogey at the first hole as a misstep in his strategy.
Now representing LIV Golf, Rahm is pursuing his third major victory and his first PGA Championship title, having previously claimed both the US Open and the Masters Tournament. These competitive stakes carry their own weight, but sometimes, as Rahm’s experience reminds us, the pressure of the sport leads to unexpected moments, reminding us of the fine line between frustration and respect on the course.
