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ASU golf's Jon Rahm tied for fifth in Phoenix Open heading into final round

ASU's Jon Rahm after hitting his tee shot on the first hole at the Phoenix Open. Rahm is 9-under entering the final round.
ASU's Jon Rahm after hitting his tee shot on the first hole at the Phoenix Open. Rahm is 9-under entering the final round.

ASU's Jon Rahm after hitting his tee shot on the first hole at the Phoenix Open. Rahm is 9-under entering the final round. ASU's Jon Rahm after hitting his tee shot on the first hole at the Phoenix Open. Rahm is 9-under entering the final round. (Photo by Bill Slane/The State Press)

ASU junior Jon Rahm finished the third round of the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open at 5-under for the day and sits at 9-under overall heading into the fourth and final round on Sunday. At one point on Saturday Rahm was in second place and just two strokes out of the lead.

The magnitude of the moment is clearly not affecting Rahm as he is hanging with some of the world’s top players in one of the PGA’s most premiere events.

“I never thought that I was going to feel this confident,” he said after his round on Saturday. “I’m not surprised, but I didn’t expect it either. Somewhere in between there.”

Rahm birdied seven times and bogeyed twice on Saturday while playing in a group with Keegan Bradley, who has three PGA Tour wins, and Brandt Snedeker, who has six.

“I got to say I started really, really nervous because I was playing with two great players,” Rahm said. “But after the first shot I hit on the fairway I was absolutely satisfied with that.”

Rahm, who is playing in front of a excitable crowd and wore an ASU jersey with Pat Tillman’s number on it for the 16th hole, says TPC Scottsdale has felt like home the last few days.

“Not my home course but it definitely feels like home,” he said. “There’s a lot of Sun Devil supporters out there and they’re ready to cheer me on. It feels great.”

Rahm has been dealing with a stomach virus the past 24 hours and was running on adrenaline for most of the round today.

Video by Justin Janssen, Sports Editor

He said he and his caddie, ASU senior Ben Shur, had to arrive at the course at 5:30 a.m. Friday morning to finish his first round that was suspended due to darkness. Rahm dealt with a headache and nausea even after the doctors gave him something to calm it down.

“I played through the round and obviously when I’m playing I got the adrenaline going and I’m focused and I don’t feel it,” he said. “But as soon as it got done, I actually kind of felt like passing out.”

Rahm said he has not been able to eat anything because it only makes his stomach feel worse. He said he’s only eaten half of a burrito and half an omelette since Friday morning.

Video by Justin Janssen, Sports Editor

“I’m just trying to drink a lot of liquid and get the virus out of me,” he said.

After the No. 12 hole, Rahm was actually tied for second place in the tournament at 8-under and just two strokes out of first. A bogey on hole 14 hurt him a little but birdies on holes 15 and 17 brought him back into the top-5.

With four strokes separating Rahm from the leader, Scottland’s Martin Laird, it will take another great round from him to be in contention for the win in the end. Rahm is trying to be the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since former Sun Devil Phil Mickelson won the Northern Telecom Open in 1991.

Reach the reporter at wslane@asu.edu or on Twitter @bill_slane

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