Jon Rahm 'Masters' Augusta
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Jon Rahm clinchedMasters 2022 in Augusta with LIV's Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson sharing second spot. With this, Rahm reclaimed the No. 1 spot and also became the first European to win Masters and US Open.
The late Seve Ballesteros, who inspired not just his nation, Spain, but the entire European continent, would be a proud man up there today. On his birthday, Jon Rahm, who grew up idolising the magician, won the 87
th
Masters in a rather imperious fashion.
Starting his final round two shots behind American Brooks Koepka, Rahm did not need any miracle shots like Seve was prone to pull off in his wins. Instead, he was rock-solid in his three-under-par 69. And with Koepka finally proving he is human with an error-filled 75, it was a four-shot winning margin over two LIV Golf stars the ageless Phil Mickelson being the other one.
Belying his age and current form, the 52-year-old Mickelson showed his love for the golf course where he has won three times and shot a sublime seven-under par 65. It catapulted him to tied second place at eight-under par 280, but the charge that included two birdies in his last two holes, could not prevent Rahm from getting his first Green Jacket.
The win also takes the 28-year-old back to No. 1 position in the Official World Golf Ranking. This one is for Seve, said a composed Rahm, who was hugged by an emotional Jose Maria Olazabal the other two-time Masters champion from Spain after the win.
Hard to put it into words. Obviously, we all dream of things like this as players, and you try to visualise what it's going to feel like. And when I hit that third shot on the green, and I could tell it was close from the crowds reaction, the wave of emotion of so many things just overtook me. Never thought I was going to cry after winning a golf tournament, but I got very close on that 18th hole.
And a lot of it is because of what it means to me, and to Spanish golf. And to play the way I did on Sunday, only one bogey in difficult conditions, its hard to explain. I am really proud of myself.
It was a long day for Rahm, as he had to first complete 12 holes from the third round. He was four adrift when play resumed, but quickly reduced the margin on the seventh hole where he converted his nine-footer for birdie and Koepka missed a 10-footer for par.
Rahm said the only time he felt frustrated was when he missed a shot birdie putt on the 16
th
Monday, April 10, 2023 at 3:48 am