Published on : 21/06/2021 – 04:08
La Jolla (United States) (AFP)
Olé at the US Open! Spaniard Jon Rahm, who had contracted Covid-19 a fortnight earlier, only came back stronger to win at 26 years old the first Grand Slam tournament of his career, Sunday in La Jolla (California).
This coronation, after having suddenly outstripped the South African Louis Oosthuizen, thanks to two successful birdies on his last two holes, also allows him to become world No. 1 again. And it is a formidable revenge on the fate which struck him two weeks ago.
In Dublin, Ohio, he was learning, helpless and dejected, his coronavirus test, which cost him the Memorial victory, which he was forced to give up before the final lap when he was largely in the lead.
“I believe in karma. After what happened, I stayed positive. I didn’t know where it would take me. Then I was able to get out of the Covid protocol early enough to participate in the tournament, my parents were able to coming here to Torrey Pines which is a special place for me, the planets aligned … I knew the best was yet to come, “he commented.
It is indeed on this course along the Pacific, north of San Diego, that Rahm won his first title on the PGA Tour in 2017. He also proposed to his wife Kelley, who gave birth. to their first child, Kepa, in early April. “You have no idea what that means,” he whispered to his son as he celebrated his victory.
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– Strong like “Rahmbo” –
The art of finishing strong, he placed a superb putt at N.18, after getting out of the bunker as best he could, to take the lead at the best time. At N.17, he also had a birdie (five in total, a bogey) to pick up at Osothuizen.
“I’m having a hard time explaining what happened, because I can’t even believe I put in those last two putts,” said the Spaniard, still stunned by his tour de force, he who was nicknamed “Rahmbo”, for his physique (1.88 m, 100 kg) of sturdy, in reference to the character (John Rambo) of cinema created by Sylvester Stallone.
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In full baraka on this thunderous final, the native of Barrika in the Basque country then clenched his fist very hard, as a sign of a victory that was announced. Then he had to wait at the clubhouse.
Because the game was not over yet for Oosthuizen, who was four holes upstream of the course. But the 38-year-old South African was never able to force his destiny then, where Rahm did.
He committed a bogey, his third of the day at N.17, which extinguished his hopes of a second major coronation after the British Open won in 2010. As in 2015 he failed in 2nd place (-5), the 3rd inheriting to the American Harris English (-3).
– 4th sacred Spaniard in Grand Slam –
“I played pretty well, I’m just failing once again,” Oosthuizen lamented while praising “Jon’s excellent game”.
Behind this duo, there was no shortage of strong competitors, especially those who have already tasted a Grand Slam victory. But either they did not go the distance, like Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa (4th) and Rory McIlroy (7th). Either they collapsed like defending champion Bryson DeChambeau (26th), after conceding two bogeys and two double bogeys on the last nine holes.
With a total of -6, Rahm could relish becoming the first golfer from his country to win the US Open and the first European since the German Martin Kaymer in 2014. A triumph that made him the fourth Spaniard. to register his name in a Grand Slam tournament after Severiano Ballesteros (five times), Jose-Maria Olazabal (twice) and Sergio Garcia (once).
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And the icing on the cake, he climbs to the top of the world rankings, dethroning the American Dustin Johnson, who had to finish 15th to stay there but ranked 19th.
Rahm had been world No. 1 for the first time, for a month in the summer of 2020, but without yet having a Major. He has magnificently corrected the shooting.
© 2021 AFP
