Jon Rahm came into the Masters as one of the favorites, but after the first round, he suddenly looked far from it.

The Spanish golfer, a two-time major winner, had a very tough start at the Masters. He shot a six-over 78 at Augusta National on Thursday, didn’t make a single birdie, and ended the day tied for 73rd, leaving him outside the projected cut line.

What makes it more surprising is his recent form. Rahm had been playing very well, finishing in the top five in every LIV Golf event this season. Now, he will need a big comeback in the next round to stay in the tournament.

He faced the media anyway and was honest. "When you have no feel with the swing whatsoever, it's just not an easy one," Rahm said.

"Tomorrow is a new day. It's going to be a very much more uphill battle right now, but I'm going to have to come out tomorrow and most likely post something in the 60s to have a chance to make the cut."

The stat line doesn’t look good. The 31-year-old ranked 82nd off the tee and 89th on the greens in a 91-man field. It was his highest-ever score at Augusta, and the first time in his Masters career he went a full round without a single birdie.

He wasn’t the only LIV player who struggled. Bryson DeChambeau had a rough day one as well, and Sergio Garcia was the only player from the rival league to finish even par.

Chamblee and Faldo criticised LIV Golf over Jon Rahm's Masters collapse.

Sky Sports' post-round coverage turned into an open debate about whether LIV Golf prepares players for Augusta at all.

Former Masters champion Sir Nick Faldo pointed straight at the circuit's setup. "There's no strategy to shooting 25-under," Faldo said. "Here you've got a lot of thinking, good shots, bad shots. How to deal with all the challenges of Augusta National."

Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee went even further. He said Rahm looked like he "forgot how to play the game," swinging flat out on every tee with no nuance. His bigger argument was about the league itself.

"They're not being challenged, they're not being tested, and so they're not ready," Chamblee said.

Round two is Rahm's last shot at the weekend, and the window is narrow.

Read more at Daily Club Golf!

Written by

Sneha Abraham