Quick Verdict: Jon Rahm hit his opening tee shot out of bounds for the second straight day at the 2026 Open Championship, made double bogey, and tore his glove apart in frustration. He began Sunday six shots behind Sam Burns; after the first hole, the gap was eight. One swing. Two more shots gone. This was not a man losing his temper over nothing. It was a player watching the same nightmare replay itself before his final round had properly begun.
What happened to Rahm on the first?
The driver went right, out of bounds, on the par-4 first hole at Royal Birkdale. Again.
Rahm had done the exact same thing in Saturday’s third round. That earlier double bogey did not sink him completely; he recovered to shoot level-par 70 and stayed at four under for the week. But Sunday was supposed to be different. He started six behind Burns, close enough to make the leader uncomfortable if he could get through the early holes without doing anything stupid.
Instead, he sent the first ball out of play.
Then he made double-bogey 6. And then he ripped his glove apart.
| Moment | Position |
|---|---|
| Start of the final round | 4 under, six shots behind Burns |
| Opening tee shot | Out of bounds for the second consecutive day |
| Score at No. 1 | Double-bogey 6 |
| After No. 1 | 2 under, eight behind the lead |
Was it another conduct issue?
No. Tearing the glove was frustration, but the significant conduct issue came in the second round.
Rahm received an official warning under The Open’s serious-misconduct policy after throwing an iron following a poor tee shot at the par-3 15th. The R&A said a further incident could bring a two-stroke penalty, while a third violation could lead to disqualification.
| Incident | Official consequence |
|---|---|
| Club throw at the 15th in round two | Formal conduct warning |
| Another misconduct breach | Potential two-stroke penalty |
| A third breach | Potential disqualification |
| Glove torn after Sunday's double bogey | No reported additional sanction |
Could Rahm recover?
Rahm did not fold immediately. He birdied the fifth, then dropped shots at the sixth and seventh, leaving him three over for the round and one under overall through eight holes—nine behind the leader at that stage.
🚨 The Raw Take
Rahm did not lose The Open because he tore a glove. He lost it when he hit another opening tee ball out of bounds after doing the exact same thing 24 hours earlier.
That is golf’s ugliest trick: it does not always beat you with a spectacular collapse. Sometimes it gives you the same shot, the same hole, the same mistake—and waits to see whether you have learned a damn thing.