Jon Rahm Opens BMW PGA Championship With Rare 6-Over 78

Jon Rahm opened the BMW PGA Championship with a 6-over 78 on Thursday, one of the worst rounds of his professional career and his highest score in a non-major event since 2021.

The round left the two-time major champion near the bottom of the leaderboard at Wentworth and in danger of missing the cut at one of the DP World Tour's marquee events. Rahm finished the day ahead of just one player in the field, Germany's Marcel Siem, the world's 495th-ranked golfer. Co-leaders Aaron Rai, the reigning PGA Champion, and Sweden's Joakim Lagergren each opened with a 6-under 66.

What's next for Rahm on and off the course?

The stumble comes amid lingering uncertainty over where Rahm will play in 2027. He has spent the past three seasons with LIV Golf, winning the league's individual title in each of them, but the circuit's future is unsettled following a recent bankruptcy filing. "Time's going to tell," Rahm told BBC Sport this week when asked about his plans.

Rahm is expected to play several more DP World Tour events before the end of 2026, though he may skip the Spanish Open while he and his wife await the birth of their fourth child.