Chamblee: Rahm's water ball 'most baffling decision' in Players history

Jon Rahm entered Sunday's final round with a one-shot lead at The Players Championship, an unfamiliar spot for the 24-year-old.

Despite playing his first 10 holes at 1-over par, he still had a great chance to win the tournament as he approached the par-5 11th at 14-under par, one behind Rory McIlroy's eventual winning score.

But after hitting his drive into the fairway bunker, Rahm made a decision that, according to Golf Channel's Brandal Chamblee, will be remembered forever.

"I think this will go down in history as the most baffling decision ever struck here at this event," Chamblee said after the tournament.

Rahm had 220 yards to the pin, with water on the right and a strong crosswind coming from the left. Rahm's veteran caddie, Adam Hayes, tried to talk his player into laying up instead of trying to pull off a seemingly impossible sweeping hook over water from a bunker.

"I'm gonna get you to the flat over here," Hayes said, identifying a perfect layup spot for Rahm. "You'll have a flat lie, you'll have 100 ..."

But the stubborn Rahm cut him off.

"The problem is I'm not confident hitting that shot. If you hit it too far down there you'll have a very tough angle," Rahm said, justifying his decision to remain aggressive.

Hayes reluctantly said "OK, yep" while shaking his head, knowing he wasn't going to change Rahm's mind.

Rahm took a vicious swing but as soon as the ball left the club face, it had no chance of staying dry. As the ball was in the air, the broadcast picked up Rahm yelling, "I was so f------ sure the first time."

Even though the aggressive decision potentially cost him the tournament, Rahm remained adamant that it was the right call.

"Adam was trying to convince me to go right, and when I first got to the ball I was really sure I could do it," he said according to Golf.com's Josh Berhow. "I mean if you give me 10 balls besides that one I’ll hit the other one on land. But unfortunately, I got a little bit of doubt in me."

After the bogey on No. 11, the Spaniard played his remaining seven holes at 2-over par to shoot 76 on Sunday, dropping him into a tie for 12th.