Jon Rahm downplays tense spectator exchange at The Open: "I know they're not doing it on purpose"

Jon Rahm says he knows the spectator who whistled at the top of his backswing during the first round of The Open 'wasn't doing it on purpose'. 

Rahm appeared extremely agitated after he hit an errant tee shot down the 11th hole at Royal Portrush on Thursday. 

The former Masters champion watched his golf ball sail towards the thick rough and knew he was staring down the barrel of a bogey or worse. 

Rahm immediately directed his anger towards a spectator after picking his tee out of the ground. 

Hot mics picked up Rahm saying: "Really? Whistling? Great timing. Right in my backswing. Very smart…whoever it was."

Sir Nick Faldo opined on the Sky Sports broadcast that Rahm should be used to dealing with 'white noise' as he plays a full-time LIV Golf schedule. 

The 30-year-old Spaniard went on to make what was his second bogey in a row, but rallied down the stretch to card a one-under 70 in difficult conditions. 

He is nicely positioned after 18 holes of the final men's major of the year. 

"I mean, if I were to paint a picture, you have the hardest tee shot on the course, raining, into the wind off the left, it's enough [to deal with]," Rahm said when he was asked about the tense exchange. 

"I know they're not doing it on purpose. It just seemed like somebody trying to get a hold of someone for whatever it is. It was bad timing.

"I think I just used the moment to let out any tension I had in me. Really that's not... it is what it is. 

"To be honest, it probably didn't affect as much as I made it sound like. It was a bad swing as well. Just a difficult hole.

"I mean, it's frustrating, but it is what it is. It's an everyday thing in golf."

Watch the moment here:

Rahm is making his ninth Open appearance this week. 

He won The Masters in 2023 and the US Open in 2021 but is yet to lift the Claret Jug. 

In his pre-tournament news conference, Rahm explained he believes The Open is the most prestigious major in the sport.

"The Masters was quite epic in my mind somehow I felt," Rahm said when asked how winning this week compares to slipping on the green jacket. 

"There's just a few things that would make this one so special. 

"Not only getting to three majors, being the second Spanish player [since] Seve to win an Open and being the only one to three different majors, that would be... yeah, makes it very, very special, on top of everything that already is.

"But that's the theory of it. Hopefully on Sunday I can answer that question a little bit better."

Follow GolfMagic for live text updates of The Open, along with all the latest news, opinion and analysis.