Grumpy Jon Rahm to marshal: "Don't tell me it's okay, please"

Jon Rahm's return to Spain 11 days after he helped Europe secure a dramatic away win in the Ryder Cup saw the golfer involved in a grumpy exchange with a marshal.

Rahm carded a 1-over par 72 at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid in the opening round of the Open de Espana.

But undoubtedly the highlight of the day occurred on the par-4 8th after the 2023 Masters champ found the left rough with his drive. 

Presented with a dodgy lie, hot mics caught Rahm complaining: "What a day, what a day." His comment was followed by an expletive. 

A marshal then told him: "It's okay." Rahm bristled: "Don't tell me it's okay, please. Thank you."

The marshal apologised, but Rahm repeated: "It's not okay." He ended up saving par on the hole, his penultimate of the day, before dropping a shot at the last. 

His round included one birdie, one eagle and four bogeys.

After 18 holes, he trails Ugo Coussaud and Sam Bairstow by six shots. 

Rahm played alongside his European Ryder Cup teammate, Shane Lowry, who laboured to an opening 75. 

Lowry holed the putt that retained the Cup for Luke Donald's dozen. He has since said the achievement was just as good as winning The Open in front of his own fans. 

Rahm is trying to win a record fourth Spanish Open title and surpass Seve Ballesteros as the tournament's most successful golfer since the creation of the European Tour in 1972. 

Rahm is making his seventh appearance in Madrid. 

He won here in 2018, 2019 and 2022. He was runner-up to fellow Spaniard Angel Hidalgo in a playoff last year.

Ballesteros won the last of his 50 titles on the European Tour at the Spanish Open in 1995.