John Butler Rahm was a member of the U.S. team that competed at Glen Echo Golf Club in St. Louis.
After two days at the 2024 Olympics, Jon Rahm is in solo fourth in the men’s competition. It’s his first appearance in the Summer Games, as he had to withdraw three years ago from the golf tournament in Tokyo due to COVID.
But did you know there was an American golfer named John Rahm who competed in the 1904 Olympics?
Born Jan. 8, 1854 in Richmond, Virginia, John Butler Rahm was a member of the U.S. team in St. Louis at Glen Echo Golf Club. Golf was making its second appearance in the Summer Olympics in 1904 before being pulled from the program for 112 years, not returning until 2016.
Pictures of the USA Team from the 1904 Summer Olympics hosted at Glen Echo Country Club! Team USA: Edward Cummins, Kenneth Edwards, Chandler Egan, Walter Egan, Robert Hunter, Nathaniel Moore, Mason Phelps, Daniel Sawyer, Clement Smoot, Warren Wood pic.twitter.com/WwwkIpGPRW
In 1904, John Rahm took home a bronze medal. Those Games differed from 1900, as well as the most recent three, because it had a men’s individual and men’s team competition. It also did not have a women’s competition.
The 1904 Olympics had 77 golfers in all, with 74 of them from the U.S., so the team concept couldn’t be fulfilled by actual national teams. Instead, various golf associations from the U.S. competed, with Rahm being a part of the USGA’s entry that took bronze.
Rahm did compete in the individual competition as well, finishing 39th.
It’s Jon Rahm’s world. There’s nothing anyone can do about it.
Ok, Jon Rahm. We get it.
You’re the No. 1 golfer in the world. You’ve won three times in six events this season and finished top 10 in each. Now this is just getting ridiculous.
During Thursday’s opening round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the odds on favorite to win is looked like he’s going to run away with tournament before it really even begins.
Rahm shot a 65 (seven-under) despite a bogey at the par four No. 8. And with that spectacular round, Rahm is now 100 under par on the PGA Tour season since January.
Not only is Rahm the No. 1 player in the world — he’s putting notable distance between himself and the field.
World Ranking
Player
2023 PGA Events
Score to Par
1
Jon Rahm
6
-100
2
Scottie Scheffler
5
-74
3
Rory McIlroy
3
-7
4
Patrick Cantlay
5
-53
8
Max Homa
5
-56
For additional context: Max Homa recorded his first bogey of the season on Thursday and is still barely halfway to Rahm’s score to par. The Spaniard, meanwhile, eagled No. 16 before sinking birdies on No. 17 and 18 in extraordinary fashion.
Jon Rahm saves par from 35 FEET OUT on the 15th. 😅
Rahm was +1600 to finish as first round leader at BetMGM. He made those odds look silly by finishing Thursday with a two-stroke lead over the field. After entering the week +650 to win the event, Rahm’s odds have moved to +140.
Scheffler (+850) has the second-best odds heading into Friday.
At this rate it’s hard to imagine a tournament where Rahm isn’t a heavy favorite when before begins. But that’s the scary part of golf, isn’t it? One day you look like you can win all four majors in a calendar year, the next you feel like you’ll never win again.
Rahm currently appears much closer to the former than the latter.
In two weeks, we’ll be back to live PGA Tour golf and many of the world’s top-ranked players are ready to go.
In two weeks, we’ll be back to live PGA Tour golf and many of the world’s top-ranked players are ready to go.
The Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial CC in Fort Worth, Texas, has commitments from the top five players in the Official World Golf Ranking: Rory McIlroy (1), Jon Rahm (2), Brooks Koepka (3), Justin Thomas (4) and Dustin Johnson (5).
Furthermore, seven of the top ten players in the world and 15 of the top 20 are in the field, including Patrick Reed (T-7) and Webb Simpson (9).
Thomas committed just this week, as did Xander Schauffele (12), Tony Finau (16) and Shane Lowry (20).
Adam Scott (6), Patrick Cantlay (T-7) and Tommy Fleetwood (10) are the three top-10 players who are not in the field yet. The OWGR is as of May 28. The ranking is updated weekly. Golfers have until 5 p.m. local time on Friday, June 5 to enter.
Tiger Woods, currently ranked 11th in the world, has not committed to the Schwab.
Kevin Na is back to defend his title. His four-shot victory in the 2019 Charles Schwab Challenge came with a $1.314 million winner’s check, the Leonard Trophy, a Scottish tartan plaid jacket and a fully restored 1973 Dodge Challenger, which he then gave to his caddie Kenny Harms.
Defending Charles Schwab Challenge champion Kevin Na tells @AmandaGuerraCBS what the transition will be like getting back to competitive golf@CSChallengeFW will be the first PGA Tour event back held June 11-14 on CBS pic.twitter.com/5PBKCAsnKU
Here’s why Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele are among our picks for the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale.
The PGA Tour’s Waste Management Phoenix Open will bring us right up to kickoff of Super Bowl LIV between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs Sunday evening at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. First, Rickie Fowler returns to TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona, to battle another loaded field led by world No. 3 Jon Rahm.
The key stats for the Waste Management Phoenix Open are:
Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green
Strokes Gained: Ball Striking
Bogey Avoidance
Good Drives Gained
Strokes Gained: Scrambling
My model at Fantasy National looks at the most recent 24 rounds on courses featuring Bermuda Greens.
Waste Management Phoenix Open – Tier 1
Jon Rahm during the Farmers Insurance Open. (Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)
Rahm is the betting favorite at BetMGM, and for good reason. Not only is he the top-ranked golfer from the Official World Golf Ranking, but he’s coming off a runner-up finish to Marc Leishman at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open. He hasn’t finished worse than 10th in his last five worldwide events.
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Xander Schauffele (+1800)
Schauffele was one of the biggest disappointments of the week at Torrey Pines, as he missed the cut for the first time since the Northern Trust in August. He returns to TPC Scottsdale having tied for 10th last year (with Rahm). He also tied for 17th in 2018. Schauffele ranks ninth in the stat model, ranking in the top 10 of four-of-the-five key stats.
Waste Management Phoenix Open – Tier 2
Byeong Hun An during the Wyndham Championship. (Rob Kinnan – USA TODAY Sports)
Byeong Hun An (+6600)
An is the leader of the stat model; the 49th-ranked golfer in the world ranks fourth in the field among those with at least five rounds played at TPC Scottsdale in total strokes gained per round, according to Data Golf. He’s still seeking a PGA Tour win, but he hasn’t finished worse than T-23 in three appearances at this event.
Ryan Moore (+6600)
Moore missed the cut at this event the last two years. He enters this year’s tournament ranked eighth by the stat model, and he’s coming off a T-6 at the American Express. His ball-striking and play off the tee are well suited to this venue.
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Waste Management Phoenix Open – Longshots
Rory Sabbatini during the 2020 Sony Open. (Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)
Rory Sabbatini (+10000)
Sabbatini slipped to 88th by the OWGR with last week’s missed cut at the Farmers. It snapped a streak of seven straight made cuts dating to the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He’s second-best in the field in Bogey Avoidance, and he’ll be able to capitalize on the many scoring chances at TPC Scottsdale.
Adam Hadwin (+11000)
Hadwin has made the cut here each of the last four years with a top finish of T-12 in 2017. The Canadian hasn’t played since finishing in a tie for 68th at the RSM Classic while attending to the birth of his first child. He has slipped to 52nd in the world in his time off and now has fresh motivation at a familiar venue.
Complete odds
Player
Odds
Jon Rahm
+600
Justin Thomas
+800
Webb Simpson
+1400
Hideki Matsuyama
+1600
Rickie Fowler
+1600
Xander Schauffele
+1800
Bryson DeChambeau
+2500
Matt Kuchar
+2500
Gary Woodland
+2800
Tony Finau
+2800
Sungjae Im
+3000
Brandt Snedeker
+3300
Bubba Watson
+3300
Collin Morikawa
+3300
Branden Grace
+4500
Viktor Hovland
+4500
Cameron Smith
+5000
Jordan Spieth
+5000
Ryan Palmer
+5000
Chez Reavie
+6000
Byeong Hun An
+6600
Daniel Berger
+6600
Jason Kokrak
+6600
Kevin Na
+6600
Matthew Wolff
+6600
Russell Knox
+6600
Ryan Moore
+6600
Corey Conners
+7000
Brian Harman
+8000
J.B. Holmes
+8000
J.T. Poston
+8000
Keegan Bradley
+8000
Vaughn Taylor
+8000
Andrew Landry
+9000
Andrew Putnam
+9000
Billy Horschel
+9000
Brendan Steele
+9000
Bud Cauley
+9000
Ted Hoge
+9000
Charley Hoffman
+10000
Emiliano Grillo
+10000
Harry Higgs
+10000
Lanto Griffin
+10000
Rory Sabbatini
+10000
Sung Kang
+10000
Zach Johnson
+10000
Adam Hadwin
+11000
Beau Hossler
+11000
Max Homa
+11000
Harold Varner III
+12500
Harris English
+12500
Joel Dahmen
+12500
Kiradech Aphibarnrat
+12500
Martin Laird
+12500
Russell Henley
+12500
Sebastián Muñoz
+12500
Aaron Wise
+15000
Carlos Ortiz
+15000
Charl Schwartzel
+15000
Dylan Frittelli
+15000
Nick Taylor
+15000
Patrick Rodgers
+15000
Scott Piercy
+15000
Sepp Straka
+15000
Talor Gooch
+15000
Chesson Hadley
+17500
Jimmy Walker
+17500
Luke List
+17500
Nate Lashley
+17500
Sebastian Cappelen
+17500
Adam Long
+20000
Adam Schenk
+20000
Brian Gay
+20000
Brian Stuard
+20000
Cameron Tringale
+20000
Danny Lee
+20000
Grayson Murray
+20000
Kevin Chappell
+20000
Kevin Streelman
+20000
Kevin Tway
+20000
Kyle Stanley
+20000
Matt Jones
+20000
Sam Burns
+20000
Sam Ryder
+20000
Sean O’Hair
+20000
Tyler Duncan
+20000
Chris Kirk
+22500
Aaron Baddeley
+25000
Austin Cook
+25000
Brice Garnett
+25000
Chris Stroud
+25000
J.J. Spaun
+25000
John Huh
+25000
Kyoung-Hoon Lee
+25000
Mark Hubbard
+25000
Ryan Armour
+25000
Si Woo Kim
+25000
Troy Merritt
+25000
Wyndham Clark
+25000
C.T. Pan
+30000
James Hahn
+30000
Jamie Lovemark
+30000
Keith Mitchell
+30000
Lucas Bjerregaard
+30000
Luke Donald
+30000
Matt Every
+30000
Patton Kizzire
+30000
Peter Malnati
+30000
Steve Stricker
+30000
Tom Potter, Jr.
+30000
Trey Mullinax
+30000
Greg Chalmers
+35000
Mackenzie Hughes
+35000
Scott Harrington
+35000
Brandon Hagy
+40000
Hudson Swafford
+40000
K.J. Choi
+50000
Kevin Stadler
+50000
Kyle Westmoreland
+50000
Roger Sloan
+50000
Satoshi Kodaira
+50000
Scottie Scheffler
+50000
Seung-Yul Noh
+50000
Bo Van Pelt
+75000
Colt Knost
+75000
Marty Jertson
+75000
Martin Trainer
+100000
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Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson in green Christmas onesies? You bet.
Last week Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson were donning the red, white and blue for Team USA as the Americans made an epic comeback to win the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne in Australia.
Now, they’re rocking … green Christmas onesies in front of a fireplace?
