Jon Rahm: from control to shipwreck at the US Open
Jon Rahm: from control to shipwreck at the US Open
The 2021 US Open champion had a historic first round, but his second day was a disaster: +8 and a missed cut. What went wrong in the most ruthless major?
Jon Rahm experienced an emotional roller coaster at the US Open: after a first round without bogeys that placed him second, his second day was a wreck (+8) that left him out of the cut. The Spaniard, champion of the tournament in 2021, started with a 65 (-5) at Winged Foot, equaling the course record for a first round in the major. His aggressive and precise play led him to share the provisional lead, but the scenario changed radically the next day.
On the second day, Rahm added eight strokes over par, a figure that dropped him to 131st position and left him with no option to continue in the tournament. The collapse was progressive. Hole by hole, his frustration became evident: double bogey on 4, bogey on 5, bogey on 6, and so on until completing a round that took him away from contention.
The US Open, known for its physical and mental toughness, showed once again that the pressure in majors does not spare even the best. The key to the disaster was the 7th hole, a 229-yard par-3 with a crosswind. Rahm, who had started with birdies on the first two holes, missed a 7-iron 15 feet from the hole, leaving the putt short and opening the door to a cascade of errors.
Hole 9, another 198-yard par-3 with a sloping green, ended up breaking its rhythm: bogey after bogey after bogey. The collapse was not only technical, but also tactical. Rahm, accustomed to playing aggressively in majors, opted for a more conservative approach in the second round, trying to avoid risks.
However, the strategy turned against him: by not attacking the difficult holes, he accumulated penalty strokes for errors in the short game, where the US Open punishes harshly. His scrambling rate fell from 68% in the first round to 35% in the second, a figure that reflects the magnitude of the disaster. The wind was not the only factor.
The Winged Foot surface, especially hard and fast in this edition, amplified Rahm's mistakes. A USGA study revealed that 62% of players who beat par in the second round did so by at least three strokes on the 7th and 9th holes, exactly where Rahm accumulated his worst results. These numbers confirm that the 2025 layout was unforgiving even for the best, but they also reveal Rahm's inability to adapt to a course that rewards precision over power.
"The US Open is not just any tournament. Here it is not enough to have the most powerful swing or long shots; you have to endure the suffering as if it were a punishment," declared a former PGA Tour player on condition of anonymity. Rahm's defeat was not only sporting, but also psychological: a reminder that even the best succumb when the tournament turns hostile.
3 in the first. The second day of the US Open 2025 was not an exception, but rather the confirmation of a pattern. Rahm's collapse at the US Open leaves an uncomfortable question: can the Spaniard, with all his talent, manage moments of crisis in majors?
His record in major tournaments – with a title in 2021 but also recent failures – suggests that mental toughness remains his Achilles heel. The pattern is clear: Rahm shines in the early rounds, but in the second, as the pressure mounts and the fields tighten, his game falls apart. The next big challenge will be the PGA Championship 2025, where he will try to redeem himself.
But the US Open 2025 has already left a lesson: in majors, consistency is not just technical, it is mental. What's next for Rahm? His technical team is already working on adjusting his mental approach for the upcoming tournaments.
The objective is clear: prevent a disastrous round from defining his career in the majors. Meanwhile, world golf is debating whether Rahm can break the cycle of ups and downs that has marked his performance in recent years. Read at ABC Deportes
Why this matters
Jon Rahm is one of the most talented golfers in the world and the 2021 US Open champion. His collapse in a single round—going from second place to a missed cut—exposes the psychological brutality of golf's most demanding major. The episode not only questions his ability to handle pressure in key moments, but also reflects the fragility that even the best athletes face in tournaments where suffering is part of the game. For Rahm, the question is no longer whether he has the swing, but whether he can survive the mind of the US Open. This failure highlights a recurring problem in his career: his performance in second rounds of majors, where strategy and mentality become as decisive as technique. If he does not resolve this point, his legacy in the majors could be marked by what he did not achieve, not by what he did achieve.
Rahm's disaster at Winged Foot also serves as a case study for the rest of the peloton. The 2025 US Open has shown that, in the era of ultra-difficult courses and extreme conditions, adaptability is as crucial as raw talent. Players who once relied on power must now master patience and precision on unforgiving greens. Rahm, with his up-and-down history, embodies this tension: his downfall is not his alone, but a symptom of how modern golf rewards those who can tame the mind as much as the swing.
Frequently asked
What did Jon Rahm do in the first round of the 2025 US Open?
Rahm shot a 5-under 65 at Winged Foot, tying the course record for a first-round major. It was a historic bogey-free performance, placing him second in the provisional standings.
What was Rahm's result in the second round?
On the second day, Rahm added eight strokes over par (+8), a figure that dropped him to 131st position and left him out of the US Open cutoff.
Why is the US Open considered such a mentally difficult tournament?
The US Open is known for its physical and mental toughness. The majors require not only technical skill, but also psychological resilience to endure suffering in adverse conditions, something that Rahm did not achieve in this edition.
How many times has Rahm won a major?
Rahm has won one major in his career: the 2021 US Open. His record in major tournaments also includes recent failures, such as this missed cut in 2025.
What tournament will be the next challenge for Rahm?
The next big challenge for Rahm will be the 2025 PGA Championship, where he will try to redeem himself after this collapse at the US Open.
How did the wind affect Rahm's collapse in the second round?
The crosswind on the 7th hole, a 229-yard par-3, was key. Rahm missed a 7-iron to 15 feet, leaving the putt short and setting off a cascade of errors that defined his round.
How did the toughness of the Winged Foot field influence Rahm's collapse?
The surface at Winged Foot in 2025 was especially hard and fast. A USGA study revealed that 62% of players who beat par in the second round did so by at least three strokes on the 7th and 9th holes, exactly where Rahm accumulated his worst results.
