Rahm blames loss on distraction at last hole

Jon Rahm blamed a loud noise, reported as a slamming portable toilet door, for a poor chip shot at the final hole that cost him a chance of forcing extra holes in his final against Dustin Johnson at the WGC-Dell Match Play yesterday morning (Singapore time).

Rahm was just starting his backswing for the 80-foot shot at Austin Country Club in Texas when a sudden noise reverberated across the green.

The 22-year-old Spaniard continued with his swing, but hit the ball fat and he reacted in disgust when it stopped barely halfway to the hole.

"That's absolutely why I missed it," Rahm told Golf Channel, referring to the noise, which NBC television said was a portable toilet door banging. "I lost focus with my head, chunked it and left it short. That's absolutely what happened."

Rahm never expected to hit his chip to tap-in distance, because he had to negotiate a ridge and a downhill slope, but he expected to get it much closer than 30 feet.

Rahm missed his long birdie putt, halving the hole with Johnson, who escaped with a 1-up victory in the World Golf Championships event to become the first player to win all four WGC events.

World No. 1 Johnson won the WGC HSBC Champions in 2013, the WGC Cadillac Championship in 2015, the WGC Bridgestone Invitational last year and the WGC Mexico Championship earlier this month.

"I've got a lot of confidence now - confidence in my game and confidence in myself," Johnson said. - WIRE SERVICES