Fact: Spanish wins US Masters
1980: Seve Ballesteros, -13
1983: Seve Ballesteros, -8
1994: José María Olazábal, -9
1999: José María Olazábal, -8
2017: Sergio García, -9
A long Sunday ended in the best way for Jon Rahm, who got to hang up the green jacket for the first time. He might have hoped that – but didn’t dare believe it when he started Sunday four strokes behind LIV star Brooks Keopka.
After completing the third round on Sunday morning local time, LIV star Brooks Koepka was still 11 shots under par.
Two strokes behind the Spaniard was chasing and the pressure seemed to affect Koepka directly.
The first tee of the final round went wide left, enough for him to hit the second shot from the fairway of the ninth hole and save par.
The Norwegian lost
On Augusta’s first par 3, however, Koepka couldn’t avoid the bogey after settling into the green bunker.
The hole before Rahm had made birdie after a long drive, followed by a delicate chip and a well-balanced putt.
The duo were thus completely even at -10.
At the same time, the group behind had a hard time catching up to the two titans. Norwegian Viktor Hovland was up and sniffing the lead with fell back after a costly double bogey on the sixth hole.
On the same hole, Koepka made his second bogey of the round while Rahm saved par to take over the lead.
Heavy round
A bogey on the ninth hole was the only blemish on the record for Rahm, who added two birdies on holes 13 and 14, respectively. He finished the round in 69 strokes, posting a -12 total.
Koepka accounted for bogeys on holes 9, 12, 14 and 17, which proved too costly despite birdies on 13, 15 and 16. With a round of 75 strokes, three over par, he ended up at -8 overall.
Compatriot Phil Mickelson played dream golf and went the round in 65 strokes, which was enough to tie for second place with Koepka.
Rahm became the fourth Spaniard to win a Masters after Seve Ballesteros, José María Olazábal and Sergio García.