Jon Rahm, brilliant Augusta Masters champion

Historical Jon Rahm. At 28 years old, the Basque already has his first Augustan Masters after winning this Sunday at National Augusta with 276 strokes (-12) after signing off in an exciting final round, where he shared the star match with the leader after 54 holes Brooks Koepka, 69 hits. Koepka (75) finished tied for second Phil Mickelson, both with 280 hits. Brilliant, deadly, prestigious achievement, and worked like few others. And for his bank account, the biggest prize distributed by Augusta in its 87 editions: 3.2 million dollars.

Jon, who played golf from the manual, from the book, in total control, betting only what was necessary and giving the finish when he needed to (hole 14, his birdie and Koepka’s bogey, 5 strokes to go and four to play) didn’t want any more pressure than usual when they told him on Tuesday about a date that was definitely etched in his mind but he hadn’t yet externalized.

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His idol since childhood Seve Ballesteros He was born on April 9, 1957, so he would have been 66 this Sunday. On April 9, 1983, his 26th birthday, Seve wore his second green jacket as Masters champion after a spectacular start back: birdie-eagle-par-birdie.

On April 9, 2017, the man from Castellón Sergio Garcia He finally achieved his first Grand Slam and dedicated, of course, the victory to the genius from Pedreña (Cantabria), who died after a long illness in 2011.

And this Sunday April 9, 2023, a date that should be framed in the history of Spanish sport, Jon Rahm does not want to be less and shows a huge, impressive, majestic mental, strategic and technical golf, he became the fourth Spanish golfer who won the Masters after the achievements in his day by Ballesteros (2, 1980 and 1983), Txema Olazábal (2, 1994 and 1999) and Sergio (2017). In addition, the man from Barrila achieved the 30th top ten of the ‘Armada’ in Augusta. The first was the 6th place for Ramón Sota in 1965. This was the tenth Spanish ‘major’ and the sixth green jacket for us.

Jon, in a fierce, contested and exciting battle with the four-time winner of a ‘major’ (two US Open and two PGA) Brooks Koepka, now enrolled in the Saudi Super League, is brilliantly won his second ‘big’ after the 2021 USA Open in San Diego, making it the Basque’s seventh Masters participation (4 top 10s in his last five appearances).

Rahm started second, two shots behind Koepka on day four after finishing third Sunday morning with 209 shots (-9) to Brooks’ 207 (-11). This is the best position of his career after 54 holes in a Grand Slam since a tie for 3rd at the 2018 PGA and the 3rd at the Open USA 2022. It is also the sixth time this season on the PGA Tour -remember, three victories already – entering the final round in first or second place on the leaderboard.

Jon is the leader of FedExCup thanks to his achievements in Tournament of Champions, The American Express and the Genesis Invitational. And he is third in the world ranking. But from this Monday he will take back the throne that was also occupied by the great Seve during his time. scottie schefflerthe defending champion, finished tied for the top 10, enough for Jon to return to the top with his win at Augusta.

There are already three Spaniards who have conquered more than one ‘big’: Seve (5, two Masters and three British), Txema (2 Masters) and Rahm (1 US Open, 1 Masters). Eighteen players have won the Masters and US Open and three, including Jon, have done so in the past 10 years: Jordan Spieth (2015 Masters, 2015 US Open), Dustin Johnson (2016 US Open, 2020 Masters) and Jon Rahm ( US Open 2021 and Masters 2023).

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The Koepka-Rahm rivalry goes beyond pure and hard competition: it is a confrontation between two poles that repel each other today and many: the Saudi millionaire LIV Golf who turned the world of golf upside down, against in the traditional American and European circuits, and that Rahm has since erupted into conflict with those with more sense, ‘seny’ and good sense putting facts and statements in recent days and weeks.

Koepka, hard to crack, showed signs of opening the door for his rivals at the top of the table at the end of the third lap and at the start of the fourth and final, but in reality it was Rahm who coughed first in his ears were demanding and then he put even more pressure based on birdies, he even beat the board.

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The course is not easy with the constant eddies of the wind from Augusta making a good shot that doesn’t end up being that way. But to make it full circle and complete Sunday, April 9, the sun came out and Jon Rahm, proud and happy, his first green jacket.