Jon Rahm He achieved this Sunday the first green jacket of his career in the Augusta Masters, the second ‘Great’ in his personal account after the US Open, by winning the last day the American from LIV Golf, Brooks Koepka who was leading, and all the rivals who wanted to get closer like the veteran Phil MIckelson (-8), but who did not arrive on time.
Rahm completed the tournament with 276 shots (-12), in a day marked by the sun and the breezevery different from what they experienced on Saturday with rain and wind that forced the tournament to stop after a tree fell. A victory that gives him the right to play the tournament until his body and game hold. Although with the quality of Barrika’s, it will not be difficult for him to achieve more titles in Augusta.
The Basque He went out to play aware that the tournament is not won in a brilliant start, but in the final nine holes. And despite this, he knew how to handle himself much better than Koepka on the first nine holes despite starting two shots behind.
The first birdie is coming soon
Rahm achieved a birdie early, on hole 3 that cut the distance to just one and in the next one, a bogey from Koepka brought the Basque to the co-leaderate. That good start was continued in the six, where Jon met the par but the American failed again, which gave the lead alone to the Spaniard, with -10. An important moment, but not yet final.
The Basque opened the difference to two strokes after he took advantage of the par five of the eight while Koepka saved the par after going off the fairway. in the nine Rahm he made his first bogey and could not take advantage of the American’s mistake as well. At the end of the first nine holes, Rahm ahead (-10) and with Mickelson second, with -8 although already in the Club House waiting for the final nine where the tournament is always decided.
The one from Barrika reached the most dangerous area, the ‘Amen Corner’, but he closed it with a magnificent birdie in the 13th that took him to an income of three shots with a Koepka that added his first birdie. The job was half done, although he had to finish it off with a few more birdies until the end and avoid any surprise among his pursuers.
The Spaniard practically sealed the tournament on the 14th hole with a birdie that pushed him to -12 while Kopeka racked up another bogey. The difference was already five four from Mickelson who was heralded as the second oldest classified in history, with 52 years. The job was done and Spanish golf added its sixth green jacket and perhaps more on the near horizon.
Couldn’t get close to Koepka
Rahm had a hard time closing the third day early in the morning. After finishing Saturday with two remaining holes, he birdied 7 and 8 that allowed him to face the second nine with confidence.
Although from the 10th, his game was not so precise, saving many pairs to end up losing two shots to the field on the 13th and 16th, signing a round of 73 hits (+1) for a total of -9.
The best news for the Spaniard is that Koepka maintained a line of play similar to Rahm’s, making two errors at 12 and 17, which kept his swords up for the last day where everything was decided and where Rahm left no doubt as to who has been the best in this 87th edition of the Masters.
