Spanish golf kicked off the men’s Olympic tournament with good positions for Jon Rahm and David Puig on the first day this Thursday of Paris 2024, although the Japanese Hideki Matsuyama, the first leader, set the bar high with a first card of 63 strokes.
The Golf National, near Versailles, was the start of the Olympic event for a sport that wants to establish itself at the Games, in its third consecutive participation after more than 100 years of absence. Matsuyama posted a -8 as the first reference at the top of the table, where some of the best in the world are already emerging.
The Japanese, with multiple victories including the Augusta Masters in 2021, signed eight birdies without error and is two strokes ahead of Xander Schauffele, champion of two ‘majors’ this season, including the recent British Open. The American, reigning Olympic gold medalist, failed with a ‘bogey’ on the 17th, but his day was a statement of intent all the same.
Chilean Joaquín Niemann (-5) and world number one, American Scottie Scheffler (-4), are some of the illustrious players who occupy the tight ‘Top 10’ of the first day in Paris 2024. With -4, Rahm had an irregular debut that he at least saved to be in the fight, although above them it seems that they will not give up.
The Spanish golfer, who is returning to his best form after finishing seventh at the British and winning his first LIV Golf tournament last Sunday, did everything: two eagles, four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey, on a day marked and extended by several suspensions due to electrical storms.
The two-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one will have to bring out all his magic at Le Golf National, a course that is currently failing to defend itself from the massive onslaught of golfers, with 40 players managing to get under par. Meanwhile, David Puig, also making his Olympic debut like Rahm who was sidelined in Tokyo due to coronavirus, finished at -2, after a great first round and a frustrating second nine holes.
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