AUGUSTA | It was the fight awaited for days and the one announced by the prophets. The clash between the great tenor of the PGA Tour and a star of the controversial LIV Golf Tour which has rocked the sport for almost a year. A battle that Jon Rahm brilliantly won to win the prestigious Masters Tournament.
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The 28-year-old golfer signed a fifth Spanish victory on the fairways of the Augusta National, and this 40 years after the magnificent performance of the great Seve Ballesteros who had won his second jacket there.
Moreover, Rahm realizes this dream on the day of the 66th birthday of one of his idols who was qualified as one of the most talented that this sport has known. Ballesteros died of illness in May 2011.
Rahm becomes the fourth Spaniard to don the coveted green jacket. He does so barely two years after his first major title, at the United States Open in Torrey Pines. No other European golfer has accomplished such a feat.
Wave of emotions before the final blow
“I find it difficult to put words to what I’m going through right now,” said the champion an hour after his last putt that made him go down in history for this prestigious club.
“Obviously, we all dream of that. We try to visualize this victory hoping to feel this emotion.
“When I approached the 18th flag, I knew my ball was close. A wave of emotions washed over me. I never thought I would cry winning a golf tournament, but this one I was close to shedding a tear.”
For Seve
Rahm replaced those tears by instead roaring skyward after completing his mission. He then grabbed his just two-year-old son Kepa Cahill, born on the eve of the 2021 edition of the Masters. And he gave José Maria Olazbal, the 1999 champion, a long hug.
“These emotions came to me, because this victory has a huge meaning for me and Spanish golf. This is the 10th major title for a Spaniard and I am the fourth to achieve it here for my second Grand Slam title. It’s incredible,” said the man who won his fourth win of a six-month-old season at the same time.
Rahm dedicated this one especially to Ballesteros. “He was up there trying to help me and he helped me.”
Indeed, his angel had to contribute, because under pressure, the golfer only made a mistake. This bogey at the 9th flag which allowed his closest pursuers, Koepka, Spieth and Mickelson, to keep hope alive.
“These were difficult conditions. Going back to the clubhouse with such a lead is hard to explain, said the 30-hole Sunday runner who finished his third round in the morning.
“I am very proud of what I have accomplished.”
From a double bogey to victory
We must not forget that the third golfer in the world started the tournament on a bad note. He had four putts on the first green on Thursday, committing a double bogey there. A false step which had not made him flinch since he still had 71 holes in front of him to recover.
He sailed through the waves trying to keep pace with Koepka despite the bad weather that disrupted the second and third rounds.
When the clouds parted and the sun finally came out yesterday morning, the Spaniard pressed on the accelerator with six birdies in his last 30 holes. He posted a third card of 73 (+1) and added a final score of 69 (-3) to finish with a cumulative record of -12.
‘Rahmbo’ defeated the ‘Big, Bad, Brooks’ who couldn’t have had a worse time to tangle in his laces as he threaded six bogeys en route to a 75(+3) final card.
Having lost his four priority shots that he had at sunrise, Koepka resisted until the 6th pennant, when Rahm passed him before taking off in full possession of his means. More ferocious, it simply eclipsed it.
Quiet and comfortable
“I was calm and I was never frustrated, because I never felt that I lost control, told the winner who looked at the tables on several occasions. I was obviously nervous, because there is tension.
“We run on this tension, added the one who beat his rivals by four strokes in the final table. Don’t panic and I never did. I was comfortable with my game. I had a game plan to execute and I followed it to the letter. With birdies on the way back, I knew I was getting hard to reach.”
Indeed, the best golfer on the PGA Tour this season beat out Phil Mickelson and Koepka to pocket, in addition to all the honors, the tidy sum of $3.24 million.
Behind, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed and Russell Henley shared fourth place at -7. Cameron Young and Viktor Hovland finished at -6. Sahith Theegala completed the top 10 at -5.
The next major meeting is fast approaching. The PGA of America Championship will be played May 18-21 at Oak Hill Golf Club in Rochester, New York.
