A ball in the rough, a referee calls over, and suddenly, Jon Rahm is playing from a much better spot. That's how the golfer got relief in South Africa.

Round 3 of LIV Golf South Africa took place early on Saturday, March 21, 2026. As Rahm hit his tee shot on Hole 1 at Steyn City, the ball landed in the rough. Instead of playing it, he called an official, and he wanted to know if the ball was stuck in the ground. But the answer decided how he would take his next shot.

On X, updated by LIV Golf Communications, confirmed the ruling.

"At the start of Round 3, Jon Rahm's tee shot on Hole 1 came to rest in the rough. Rahm sought the advice of a referee to see if his ball was embedded. After consulting with the referee, it was determined that the ball was embedded, and he received relief before hitting his second shot."

The rule in use here was Rule 16.3, which states that even if a ball bounces, it can still be stuck in its own mark in the ground. So the player can still get relief.

What many don't understand is that even after a few bounces, the ball can sink into soft ground in the rough. The rough is softer than the fairway, so the rules allow relief in this case.

Jon Rahm didn’t assume anything, and he called the official, got it checked, and after it was confirmed, he took a drop before playing his second shot.

With Augusta Four Weeks Out, Jon Rahm Isn't Leaving Anything to Chance

There's a reason Rahm didn't just shrug and hit. He's been one of the hottest players on the LIV Golf circuit heading into South Africa, with two bogey-free rounds, sitting at 11-under, three shots behind Bryson DeChambeau going into Saturday.

The rough at Steyn City is very thick and makes it hard to play, and going 36 holes without losing a shot is not easy.

Checking the LIV Golf stats, and Jon Rahm is right at the top. He leads in greens in regulation at 81.94% and averages 5.69 birdies per round. Also, he’s not catching anyone by surprise.

A player this focused doesn’t leave things to chance. Not on a close call, and not with the Masters just weeks away. He asks, gets the right answer, and moves on.

That's the difference between a good player and a smart one. Right now, Jon Rahm is very much both.

Did you know about the rule before this? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Shraabona Sengupta