He bounced back with a birdie at the second and was able to satisfy what he considers a key benchmark for the first stretch through the cathedral pines of Alister Mackenzie’s famous layout.
“I think if you’re on the par seventh fairway, you’re doing well. At Augusta National, the first six holes can be really tough.
“There are a lot of mistakes that can happen, a lot of bogeys that can happen, so that was my challenge and actually I was on the tied seventh fairway, I birdied the seventh and I felt like there was no difference.”
Last year’s tournament was marred by weather and Rahm had to play 30 holes on the final day before emerging triumphant and joining fellow Spaniards Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia to win the Masters.
“We played a lot of golf that weekend,” Rahm recalled. “The last one pretty much like this, I believe, was in 2005. Tiger [Woods] told me he played 54 holes over the weekend due to weather delays. »
He believes his form has been better in the month leading up to the tournament than it was a year ago, when he had three opening victories on the PGA Tour. He rejects the idea that LIV lacks the intensity of competition offered by its old circuit.
“I see everyone’s skepticism,” Rahm said. “I get it. I’ve been there, I’ve expressed it to more people than most people probably would.
“That was one of the things that kept me from joining LIV Golf. But now, after being here, once you start the tournament, I really sometimes forgot that I only played 54 holes .”
And he is confident he will get an extra boost by now being qualified to use the champions’ ultra-exclusive locker room.
“To go back and know that you’re a champion and you have an idea of how to get things done and the confidence that you know you can do it again is always an added bonus,” he said.
“It will be a little different being defending champion but I should also have a little more motivation.”
He’s looking forward to hosting a Basque-themed Champions Dinner, featuring small local snacks called pintxos, on Tuesday evening. Tradition (there are so many at the Masters) dictates that he foots the bill, but he readily admits that he can afford it.
Indeed, he is ready to revel in everything that comes with winning golf’s most glamorous tournament. “It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?” he smiled.
“To be able to walk into this dressing room and be surrounded by these players. It’s a very exclusive club; very, very exclusive and very special.
“I hope to be someone who can come back as the defending champion, have a good run and hopefully win.”
He would be the first to successfully defend since Woods 22 years ago. Given the seismic impact of his transition to the LIV tour, the implications of such success would be significant.
You can listen to Jon Rahm’s full interview on BBC Radio 5 Live’s ‘Masters Preview’ from 9:00 p.m. BST on Monday 8 April on BBC Sounds.