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He bounced back with a birdie at the second and was able to satisfy what he regards as a key benchmark for the opening stretch through the cathedral pines of the famed Alister Mackenzie layout.
“I believe if you are on the seventh fairway at even par you are doing good. At Augusta National the first six holes can be really challenging.
“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 seventh fairway at even par, made birdie on seven and I felt like there was no difference whatsoever.”
Last year’s tournament was blighted by the weather and Rahm was required to play 30 holes on the final day before emerging triumphant and joining fellow Spaniards Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia in winning the Masters.
“We played a lot of golf on the weekend,” Rahm recalled. “The last one somewhat like that I believe was 2005. Tiger [Woods] was telling me he played 54 holes on the weekend because of 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 posted three early PGA Tour wins. He dismisses the notion that LIV lacks the intensity of competition provided by his former circuit.
“I see everybody’s scepticism,” Rahm said. “I get it. I’ve been there, I voiced it to more people than most people would probably speak to.
“It was one of the things that was holding me back from possibly joining LIV Golf. But now, having been here, once you start the tournament I really sometimes have forgotten that I’ve only played 54 holes.”
And he is convinced that he will get an added boost from now being qualified to use the ultra exclusive champions locker room.
“Going back and knowing that you’re a champion and that you have an idea of how to get things done and the confidence that you know you can get it done again is always an added bonus,” he said.
“It’ll be a little different being defending champion but I should have a little bit extra motivation too.”
He is looking forward to hosting a Basque themed champions dinner, featuring small local snacks called pintxos, on the Tuesday evening. Tradition (there are so many at the Masters) dictates he will pick up the tab, but readily and happily acknowledges he can well afford it.
Indeed, he is ready to revel in all that comes with being a winner of golf’s most glamorous tournament. “It is quite incredible isn’t it?” he smiled.
“Being able to go in that locker room and be surrounded by those players. It’s a very exclusive club; very, very exclusive and very special.
“I’m hoping that I’m someone who can come back as defending champion and give it a good run and hopefully win it.”
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 a success would be significant.
You can listen to the entire interview with Jon Rahm in BBC Radio 5 Live’s ‘Masters preview’ programme from 21:00 BST on Monday, 8 April on BBC Sounds.
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