Jon Rahm Wins Eighth PGA Tour Title After Late Collin Morikawa Collapse

Jon Rahm fired a 10-under 63 to clinch the Sentry Tournament of Champions in stunning fashion and bring the curtain down on the first of the PGA Tour’s new elevated events. 

The Spaniard trailed by nine after an opening bogey but played his next 17 holes in 11-under-par to take advantage of Collin Morikawa's late collapse and seal his eighth PGA Tour title by two shots.

"If you'd told me at the beginning of the round after that bogey that I would do what I did and have a three-shot lead after finishing I don't know if I would have believed you," Rahm said.

"At that point, it's not like winning is in mind, you've just got to work and start making birdies and that's what I did."

Morikawa led by six to begin the final round having looked back to his best following a ragged 2022 season by his standards. And nothing in the American’s front-nine 33 suggested what was about to unfold.

Bogey-free and in control through 67 holes, a bladed bunker shot on the 14th sparked a disastrous run that put paid to his hopes of a first victory since his 2021 Open triumph. His short game, which had looked imperious, proved his undoing, with a chunked chip costing him another shot at 15, while he failed to convert a straightforward up-and-down for par on 16.

That left him with too much to do to catch his rival and he had to settle for a disappointing second-place finish, having held a seven-shot lead at various points throughout the day. 

But Morikawa's meltdown shouldn't detract from Rahm's performance. His comeback is the largest in the event's history and will soften the blow of last year when he finished second to Cameron Smith despite shooting 33-under for the week.

The Spaniard was nine behind following an opening bogey before five birdies in eight holes vaulted him up the leaderboard. Then, with a sniff of victory, he piled the pressure on with a run of three birdies and an eagle from the 12th that saw him take a two-shot lead to the par-5 18th, where a birdie four got him to 27-under and over the line to start 2023 in style.

"That stretch from four to six and making a birdie at nine allowed me to get into a rhythm and obviously the stretch of 12 through 15 was very, very important as well," Rahm added. "On 15 is when it truly became a reality, when I had that putt to get within one shot, and knowing how good I was playing 16 and 18 were good birdie opportunities.

"On 17 I couldn't believe it when I missed the green right. With a one-shot lead everything changed so it took quite an effort to settle myself down and change my mindset of needing birdies to just focusing on birdieing 18 to give us the best chance.

"It was a bit of a rollercoaster."

Two behind Morikawa, Tom Hoge and Max Homa finished in a tie for third, while Tom Kim and J.J. Spaun shared fifth. Matt Fitzpatrick had to settle for a T7 after a closing 70. The next stop on the PGA Tour schedule is the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Hawaii.