Grandstand Rahm!
Spain’s Jon Rahm won the US Open on Sunday at Torrey Pines in sensational fashion to claim his maiden Major, and also become the first Spaniard to win the prestigious event.
A brilliant birdie birdie finish saw him end one ahead of South African Louis Oosthuizen ‒ who has now finished second in six Majors, including last month’s US PGA Championship.
On a gripping final day which saw the title wide open and the lead change hands numerous times, Rahm sensationally holed a 25 footer for birdie on the par-four 17th and after splashing out of sand on the par-five last, he made another challenging 18-foot putt for birdie, which sent the crowd wild.
That saw Rahm, who was playing in the fourth from last group out having started the day three off the lead, close with a four-under-par 67 and set the clubhouse lead at six under.
Oosthuizen, playing in the final pairing, surprisingly found trouble off the tee on 17 and needed to hole his third shot for an eagle on 18 to force the tournament into overtime. He ended up making birdie after his approach finished 15 feet away.
The victory comes two weeks after Rahm was forced to withdraw from the Memorial Tournament ‒ where he was leading by six shots after three rounds ‒ because of a positive coronavirus test.
“I’m a big believer in karma and after what happened a couple of weeks ago, I stayed really positive knowing that big things were coming,” said the world number three, who won his first PGA Tour event at Torrey Pines in 2017.
“I didn’t know what it was going to be but I knew we were coming to a special place. I got my breakthrough win here and it’s a very special place for my family.
“The fact my parents were able to come, I got out of Covid protocol early, I just felt like the stars were aligning.”
The 26 year old dedicated his win to Spanish legend Seve Ballesteros, who claimed five Major titles but died 10 years ago of brain cancer at the age of 54.
Rahm’s previous best Major result was when he finished tied for third at the 2019 US Open
“It’s frustrating. It’s disappointing,” Oosthuizen said. “I’m playing good golf, but winning a Major championship is not just going to happen. You need to go out and play good golf.”
Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau from the United States, his compatriot Brooks Koepka, winner of this event in 2017 and 2018, and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, the 2011 champion, were all contention but made mistakes on the back nine.
Asian Tour member Rikuya Hoshino from Japan put together four impressive rounds on a typically demanding US Open golf course. He finished in a tie for 26th after a final round 71, for a four-round total of three over.
Fellow Asian Tour member Wade Ormsby from Australia also shot a 71 to tie for 40th on six over.
It was a big step up for both players as they missed the cut in their previous US Open appearances, while it is the first time Hoshino made the cut in three Major appearances.
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