AUGUSTA, GA (SNN-TV) – The 87th Masters conquered falling trees and sub-par conditions, allowing for the World’s premier golf event to finish Sunday without a hitch, albeit a long day.
Jon Rahm turned the longest day into his sweetest victory yesterday. The 30-hole marathon finish started with him trailing by 4 and ended with a walk up to the 18th green that nearly reduced him to tears. He closed with a 3-under 69 to pull away from his competition, to win by four shots over Brooks Koepka and 52-year-old Phil Mickelson, who matched the low score of the tournament with a 65 and became the oldest runner-up in Masters history.
Rahm won for the fourth time this year, just as Scottie Scheffler did a year ago when he won the Masters, and reclaimed the No. 1 world ranking from Scheffler. It marked the first time ever that the current world No. 1 put the green jacket on the player replacing him. Rahm’s win puts him alongside his countrymen, Sergio Garcia, José María Olazábal, and his idol, the late Seve Ballesteros, on his birthday no less, as a Spaniard Masters Champion.
“Never thought I was going to cry by winning a golf tournament, but I got very close on that 18th hole. And a lot of it because of what it means to me, and to Spanish golf, right. It’s Spain’s 10th major, fourth player to win the Masters, fourth, and my second win, right, my second major win, right, it’s pretty incredible. [It’s] Hard to explain. A lot of pride, and I am really proud of myself and what I did.”
Rahm called it an incredible day, especially with his father coming over from Spain. He concluded his remarks at the trophy presentation on the 18th green by saying, “Happy Easter. And rest in peace, Seve.”