Rahm breaks course record at WGC-Mexico Championship

MEXICO CITY – Jon Rahm aced the 17th hole on the way to a course-record, 10-under-par 61 at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship at Club de Golf Chapultepec.

He reached 11 under total, just four off the lead of previous course record holder Justin Thomas (65), after a round that saw Rahm birdie six of his first seven holes.

“With the start I had today, the only thing in mind was trying to get as close as possible to the leaders,” said the 25-year-old Rahm, who has three PGA TOUR victories.

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Thomas and Erik van Rooyen had previously shot 62. Thomas had done it twice.

The hole-in-one on 17 was from 158 yards and Rahm used a gap wedge. It was his second career ace on the PGA TOUR. Chez Reavie also had a hole-in-one, at the third hole, Saturday.

Rahm’s hot start was tempered some by a three-putt bogey at the eighth hole and his failure to birdie the downhill, par-5 11th, but he finished with birdies on 13 and 15 before his ace on 17.

When did he begin to suspect it might be a special day?

“After four,” he said. “I basically had tap-in, tap-in, tap-in and 10 feet for birdie.”

Rahm hit nine of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens, and took just 25 putts, his fewest of the week by three. He made 111 feet of putts, and ranked third in Strokes Gained: Putting for the day.

“I think a lot of us like to talk sometimes about how unlucky we get,” said Rahm, who got up and down for par both times he missed the green, “and I think today was one of those days where I got fortunate. I hit the right shots and I got the right bounces, and I took advantage of it.”