'I couldn't feel any worse' - Jon Rahm apologises after 'inexcusable' incident at PGA Championship

Jon Rahm apologised and claimed he would do everything he could to make up for his 'inexcusable' behaviour during the opening round of the PGA Championship.

The Spaniard endured a slow start to the second major of the season before he made headlines with an excellent eagle on the second, his 11th hole of the day.

It proved to be an eventful opening round for Rahm, none more so than on the seventh hole when a moment of frustration saw him strike a clump of grass into the face of a volunteer.

After he overhit a 170-yard approach shot, Rahm attempted to do an 'air swing' to channel his anger, but accidentally made contact with the top of the turf, which resulted in sending a chunk of grass at a nearby course volunteer.

Members of the crowd looked on in disbelief after they realised what had happened, and Rahm was quick to head over and apologise to the volunteer, placing a hand on his shoulder while he tried to explain the incident.

“Thanks for reminding of that,” Rahm said in his press conference later in the day.

“I got a flier on my second shot that went long. It’s not a good spot. Just out of frustration, I tried to make an air swing just over the grass, and I wasn’t looking, took a divot, and unfortunately I hit a volunteer.

“Unfortunately, it hit him in the shoulder and then the face. I couldn’t feel any worse. That’s why I was there apologizing. I need to somehow track him down to give him a present because that’s inexcusable and for something that could be completely avoidable.

“Whether it was my intention or not, it was just not good.”

A controversial start to opening round

There was also a moment of controversy earlier in the day, when Rahm landed a shot in the rough but was allowed to drop the ball back onto the fairway.

In what was his first shot of the entire day, the 31-year-old landed an effort on the rough. However, with a sprinkler impeding his next shot, he was allowed to place the ball at the nearest point of relief, which in this instance happened to be the fairway.

Golf fans were divided on the incident, though perhaps justice was done after a poor approach shot that eventually saw Rahm score a bogey on the hole.

Although there were many frustrating moments for Rahm during the opening round, there were also moments of magic. The two-time major champion scored an eagle on the second and a birdie on the eighth, as he finished the day one under par and two shots off the early lead.