PGA Championship: Jon Rahm apologizes after hitting volunteer in the face with a divot during opening round
Jon Rahm wasn’t happy after his approach shot on the par-4 7th at Aronimink Golf Club went long of the green on Thursday.
Clearly frustrated, Rahm then turned and quickly took an extra swing with his iron through the rough. But after a few steps, Rahm stopped and looked left, stunned. A divot flew from his club and hit a PGA Championship volunteer who was standing just inside the ropes in the face.
(Warning: the following video contains language that is NSFW)
EXACTLY why features group streams are the way to go on Thursdays/Fridays 😂
— Hydrated Gaming (@HydratedGaming) May 14, 2026
The horror on that lady’s face 🤣
Rahm should be ejected! Reprehensible act pic.twitter.com/JqegIVss9O
Rahm immediately walked over to the volunteer, who was holding his face but seemed OK, to apologize. Rahm ended up bogeying the hole, which brought him back to even on the day.
“Just out of frustration, I tried to make an air swing, just over the grass, and I wasn't looking, took a divot, and unfortunately, I hit a volunteer,” Rahm said. “Yeah, it hit him, and unfortunately it hit him in the shoulder and then the face, which I couldn't feel any worse. That's why I was there apologizing.“
Jon Rahm hit a flyer on the 7th hole today and then took a swing in frustration at the grass and ended up hitting a volunteer with his divot.
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) May 14, 2026
After the round he was incredibly apologetic and fully owned up to his poor etiquette:
“Thanks for reminding me of that. I got a flier… pic.twitter.com/4bxJKSWXEX
Rahm ended up posting a 1-under 69 on Thursday to open the major championship, which had him two shots off the lead when he entered the clubhouse. He closed his day with eight straight pars and had an early hole-out eagle from the middle of the fairway at the second.
Rahm entered the week at No. 20 in the Official World Golf Rankings, which made him the highest-rated LIV Golf member in the field. He has a pair of LIV Golf wins already this season, too, and he finished T38 at the Masters last month.
As for the volunteer who was hit with the divot, Rahm was hoping to find him again by the end of the week.
“I need to somehow track him down to give him a present because that's inexcusable and for something that could be completely avoidable,” he said. “Whether it was my intention or not, it was just not good.”
