Jon Rahm's chances at the British Open evaporated early on Sunday when he hit his tee shot out of bounds for the second consecutive day, leading to a double-bogey six on the opening hole. The incident, which occurred on July 19, 2026, prompted the LIV Golf star to tear his glove apart in a display of visible frustration.
This marked the second day in a row that Rahm faltered on the first hole. On Saturday, he also sent his opening tee shot out of bounds, contributing to a difficult round. Despite shooting even par on Saturday to remain six shots behind leader Sam Burns, Sunday's opening misstep significantly impacted his position.
Following a birdie on the fifth hole, Rahm experienced consecutive bogeys on the sixth and seventh holes, dropping him to 3-over for the round and 1-under for the tournament, nine shots off the lead after his first eight holes.
The episode echoes a similar moment of frustration from fellow LIV Golf player Bryson DeChambeau, who faced a penalty on Friday after it was ruled he improved his lie. DeChambeau began Sunday four strokes behind Burns at 6-under.
Rahm, a two-time major champion, has had a mixed record in majors since joining LIV Golf, including a tie for second at this year's PGA Championship and a missed cut at the U.S. Open. His performance at the British Open saw him fall out of contention early on the final day.
Meanwhile, Cameron Young made an early move on Sunday, reaching 8-under overall through 12 holes, two shots behind Burns. Scottie Scheffler was also climbing the leaderboard, sitting at 7-under after nine holes.