The Spanish golfer Jon Rahm confirmed that he is going strong in the defense of the US Open by taming The Country Club (Brookline, Massachusetts) again and closing the second day one shot off the lead, while the also Spanish Sergio García and Adri Arnaus They fired the third ‘major’ of the year by not making the cut.
Rahm won in Mexico a little over a month ago but 2022 was not smiling at the former number one in the world. One year later, the US Open brings the best version of Barrika’s, who with three under par this Friday is placed at -4, one of the leaders, the Americans Collin Morikawa and Joel Dahmen.
The Spaniard and the Northern Irishman Rodry McIlroy, also at -4, challenge the local dominance in the upper zone, surrounded by 11 Yankee players after the two surely friendlier days of the tournament.
The legendary course of Boston will be hardened, in every way, especially when the USGA gives a twist to the position of the flags for the weekend.
After a solid debut, Rahm showed gallons this Friday with a recital that left an ‘eagle’ on the 14th hole, after already saving several delicate moments and after a ‘bogey’ on the 13th. The champion appeared at the top of the hole table and remained constant in the second nine, with a cannon with wood in the 5 for another ‘birdie’.
The last accurate attack by the Spaniard was on the 8th hole, to leave that -4 that an uncontrolled McIlroy also signed at the start but with quality to spare, as he showed last week with his double in Canada, to even finish under par. The American squad, beyond Morikawa, is surprised that it is not occupied by Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau or Jordan Spieth, although all is not lost.
Those who did say goodbye were the other two Spanish tricks. Sergio García did it by one shot and upset, with a good card of 70 shots that with some luck should have been better, but weighed down by the four under par on Thursday. Meanwhile, Arnaus, also forced to come back, said goodbye with a 71.
