Rahm knows how to suffer to stay in the fight

• golf

Jon Rahm's three consecutive bogeys between holes 13 and 15 on the first day of the Tour Championship have seriously threatened his aspirations to win the FedEx Cup. However, the player from Barrika managed to hold on to the course in the final part of his return to see how two birdies in a row on holes 17 and 18 and a triple bogey by Scottie Scheffler on hole 15 allowed him to continue with full aspirations for the rest of the week.

Jon Rahm, results

The first day of the final assault tournament on the FedEx Cup has left a total change in the leadership of the campaign on the PGA Tour. A great Keegan Bradley, Viktor Hovland and a spectacular Collin Morikawa lead the final tournament with -10 after a first round that has seen the main contenders for the title suffer.

Scheffler is down to fourth at -9, Russell Henley and Adam Schenk share fifth at -8 and Rahm is tied for seventh with Matthew Fitzpatrick and Rory McIlroy at -7. Rahm added five birdies and four bogeys in the opening day to beat the -6 with which he started in the tournament.

It was a first round of contrasts, since the Spaniard seemed to launch himself in the first half of his journey but, minutes later, he was going through a difficult moment with three consecutive bogeys. When he seemed mentally touched, the man from Barrika once again took out his claw to add two final birdies that allowed him to stay in the fight for victory.

Because, above all, the swords are still in style for the second round on Friday and Rahm will come to it aware of having saved a difficult first situation in this initial day. Jon, imprecise at the start, recovered well from a bogey on hole 2 and then managed to respond to another three consecutive bogeys between holes 13 and 15 that threatened to ruin his aspirations.

After going to the bunker on hole 1 but managing to save par, a 'tri-kick' on hole 2 has caused the first moment of difficulty for the Spanish player in his assault on the throne of the PGA Tour. However, a great medium-distance putt on the par four of hole 3 has allowed him to return his figures to -6 with which he began the day.

Rahm has been able to wait for his opportunity and this has come with an eagle putt on the par five of the 6th hole, which ended up being a birdie, and with another good putt on the par four of the 8th, once he has not been able to transform the more distant options that have been left behind.

From the 10th hole, Rahm has not been comfortable with the driver, but his great approaches have kept him afloat. At least until holes 13, 14 and 15, where the first moment of great tension of the week for him has arrived: a second past the green on the par four of 13, a third to the bunker on the par four of 5 (in the one who has managed to save at least the bogey with a brilliant start) and a bad approach on the par three of the 15 have brought him three consecutive bogeys that made him leave at +1 on the day and at -5 total.

However, Rahm was firing on all cylinders with two good putts on holes 17 and 18 to end the day under par, win a shot on the course and move to -7 which earns him tied seventh place.