Page 17 - Golf Champion - SEPTEMBER 2020

amazing golf and stayed aggressive. finished 30 over. Rahm, though, a 5-over 75 in the first round Rahm
… I can tell you after that two-putt, likes it hard; six weeks earlier, he was eight behind first-round leader
making that 6-footer for bogey, I had tamed a similarly difficult but Hideki Matsuyama, and he was
was like, OK, that's it, no playing windier Muirfield Village course still seven behind 36-hole leaders
around, go. That's kind of what to win the Memorial Tournament Patrick Cantlay and Rory McIlroy
mentally did it for me.” presented by Nationwide. after a second-round 71. It wasn’t
In the past, Rahm might have “The way I played today was so until Rahm’s third-round 66, which
blown his top at making such a solid,” Rahm said. “I only missed got him back to 2 over, that he
mental error. Not this time. two fairways in 18 holes, hitting looked like he might have a shot at
mostly drivers. Only missed actu- winning.
2. He didn’t let the course win. No ally one green in 19 holes that I “Thursday I really struggled off the
one told Olympia Fields this wasn’t played today, gave myself plenty of tee, never got comfortable really
the 2003 U.S. Open. chances, never really stressed for with any part of my game,” he said.
Only five players – Rahm (64), pars. “Friday I was playing pretty similar.
Dustin Johnson (67), Joaquin Nie- “This round was about as well as I Let's just say for people that don't
mann (67, T3), Hideki Matsuyama think it could have gone,” he add- know, Thursday and Friday played
(69, T3) and Tony Finau (65, solo ed. “Probably overall as a weekend, significantly more difficult than
fourth) – finished the tournament I think this one might have been the weekend did. I mean, those
under par. a little bit better (than the Memo- greens were really firm, fast and
Jason Day, who had been on a hot rial).” the wind was blowing a lot harder
streak, finished 14 over, while than it did the last two days …
countryman Marc Leishman 3. He waited for his A game. After “It is true,” he added, “after Friday

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