Jon Rahm suffers worst hole in PGA Tour career as he runs up 9 at Sawgrass

World No 1 Jon Rahm suffered the worst hole of his PGA Tour career as Austrian Sepp Straka showed his recent breakthrough win on the US circuit was no fluke.

Rahm’s rare nightmare came in the shape of a quintuple-bogey 9 at the fourth at TPC Sawgrass in the final round of The Players Championship.

The Spaniard hit two balls into the water as he ran up his worst score on any hole in his PGA Tour career by two shots.

The disastrous episode killed off Rahm’s hopes of producing a charge in the concluding circuit, which had been pushed back a day following weather delays on Friday and Saturday.

He eventually closed with a 77 to finish in a tie for 55th on two-over, 15 shots behind winner Cameron Smith.

Straka, who won the Honda Classic at the start of the PGA Tour’s circuit, ensured another leap up the world rankings after sharing ninth spot, having signed off with a five-under 67 for a seven-under total.

The 28-year-old, who pipped Shane Lowry as he landed that historic first victory by an Austrian on the circuit, had finished last season outside the top 200 in the global standings.

But, on the back of his success at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, he broke into the top 100 for the first time by moving to 83rd.

“I really played well for most of the week,” said Straka of his latest effort. “Obviously there were stretches where I didn't have my best stuff, but I hung in there and grinded it out. Yeah, I'm really happy with it.”

Canadian Adam Hadwin matched Straka’s total after signing for the same closing score. “There was a lot of golf played at times and very little golf played at times,” he said of the interruptions in play. “I think we're all happy to be done.”

In the battle for a $3.6 million first prize that involved Russell Knox, there was some controversy as Viktor Hovland took exception to where Daniel Berger, one of his playing partners, wanted to take a drop after finding water at the 16th.

"You normally work it out amongst yourselves," said a rules official. Replying, Berger said: "This is a bad drop here, I’m telling you. I’ll drop here, if this is where you guys want me to drop. But it’s way too far back."

However, Hovland said of that: “I’m not really okay with it being up there.”

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