Jon Rahm scores emotional first Masters win with determined display at Augusta

Forty years after the late, great Severiano Ballesteros won his second and final Green Jacket, he continues to cast a long shadow over Augusta National Golf Club. On Sunday, Jon Rahm emulated his childhood idol by becoming the fourth Spaniard to claim victory at the Masters, and the champion’s green jacket.

Seve would have turned 66 on Sunday, but cancer took him away in 2011.

“I wasn't sure how (the emotion) was going to come to me until I hit the third shot on the 18th,” Rahm, whose first major win came at the 2021 US Open, said. “History of the game is a big reason why I play and Seve is a big part of that history.

“For me to get it done on the 40th anniversary of his second Masters win and on his birthday was incredibly meaningful,” the new world number one would say.

Rahm, who joined Ballesteros, Jose Marial Olazabal and Sergio Garcia as Masters winners from Spain, overcame a four-shot deficit to Brooks Koepka, and started the final 18 holes on Sunday afternoon still two behind the leader.

Playing masterful, relentless golf, the burly Spaniard overhauled four-time major winner Koepka before easing away to win by a clear four shots on 12-under par 276 at the weather-ravaged, chaotic 87th edition of the year’s first major.

Koepka and fellow LIV Golf League member Phil Mickelson finished in a tie for second place on matching eight under 280s with two former winners at Augusta National, Jordan Speith and Patrick Reed sharing fourth place alongside fellow-American Russel Henry on seven under 281.

“I’m looking at the scores, and I still think I have a couple more holes left to win,” Rahm said later. “Can’t really say anything else. This one was for Seve. He was up there helping, and help he did.”

Incidentally Garcia’s Masters triumph in 2017 also came on Ballesteros’ birthday and the 34th anniversary of his 1983 victory.

Added Rahm: “I've always been confident when I've been close to the lead. I have full faith in all parts of my game, and maybe because it was that difficult out there, I was just focused on what I had to do. And that's really all you can control, is what you can do.

“What is going on on the outside is not always a reflection of the inside. I was calm. I never got frustrated. I never really got – felt like anything was out of control. But obviously you're nervous, right. There’s tension out there.”

On Sunday, Rahm shot a three under par 69 to complete his come from behind charge as Koepka could do no better than a three-over 75 while Mickelson fired a record seven under 65, It was the Spaniard’s sixth win in his last 12 starts, and his 11th PGA Tour title.

American Cameron Young and two-time Hero World Challenge winner Viktor Hovland of Norway tied for seventh on 282, Indian-American Sathith Theegala Reddy was sole ninth on 283, and defending champion Scottie Scheffler finished in a group on four a further shot behind.

The final outcome notwithstanding, it was a resounding display by the LIV Golf League personnel despite all the bad press and ill-warranted comments from other golfers with three of them – Mickelson, Koepka and Reed – finishing in the top 10 at Augusta National.

Twelve of the 18 who started the $18 million tournament made the weekend cut and barring Dustin Johnson, Thomas Pieters and Mito Perera, the remaining six brought in respectable scores at the end.