Jon Rahm salvages par after terrible break at Waste Management Phoenix Open

Bad breaks happen in golf.

 

But what happened to Jon Rahm while playing TPC Scottsdale's second hole (his 11th of the day) in the first round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open on Thursday was just unfair.

 

Following a perfect tee shot, Rahm had just 100 yards left to the green. Playing partner Xander Shauffele had already stuck his approach pretty tight.

 

Rahm flipped his wedge shot to the green and the ball hit the very top of Shauffele's ball, sending both golf balls zooming off the green.

 

Check it out:

 

 

By rule, Shauffele was able to replace his ball as close to possible to its original position. Rahm, however, had to play his ball where it ended up after hitting Shauffele's.

 

Just a couple inches longer, shorter, left or right, and Rahm would have had a short birdie try.

 

Even still, he did manage to get up and down for an impressive, but unlucky, par.

 

It was a bad break, sure, but certainly not the worst. That distinction likely belongs to Tiger Woods at the 2013 Masters.

 

It was there in the second round at Augusta National where Woods -- very much in the mix of things -- hit a perfect wedge shot on the par-5 15th hole. The shot was so perfect, it hit the flagstick and deflected back into the water that fronts the 15th green.

 

Woods had to take a penalty drop for hitting it in the water. Long after the round ended, it was also discovered that Woods took a bad drop. The Tournament Committee assessed him an additional two-shot penalty for the infraction. 

 

Woods would take an 8 on the hole with four strokes in penalties... and he would finish the tournament four shots out of a playoff.