Sensational Jon Rahm Claims Maiden Major Title
Sensational Jon Rahm Claims Maiden Major Title
Jon Rahm produced two unbelievable putts at the last two holes to claim his first Major title at the US Open.
Sensational Jon Rahm Claims Maiden Major Title
Only two weeks ago Jon Rahm was six shots clear going into the final round of the Memorial Tournament before being informed he had tested positive for Covid.
Despite the heartbreak that week, he would make a winning return to Torrey Pines, the course that played host to his first ever PGA Tour title in 2018, where he claimed his maiden Major title and became the first ever Spaniard to win the US Open.
Going into the tournament as the favourite, Rahm would shoot rounds of 69, 70 and 72 to sit three shots back of overnight leaders Mackenzie Hughes, Louis Oosthuizen and Russell Henley.
With back-to-back birdies at his two opening holes, the 26-year-old would inch himself closer to the leaders.
A bogey at the fourth would drop the Spaniard back, before a huge slice of luck on the monstrous 677-yard 9th hole.
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Pulling his drive left, Rahm's ball was destined for the out of bounds. However, instead of it being a reload off of the tee, the ball would end up resting against a hospitality fence, which was just short of the OB line.
As a result, the Spaniard was given a free drop, this was due to the fence being used to cover the hospitality area.
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With the drop, Rahm would take full advantage, putting his wedge shot to near gimme range, leading to a birdie four and just a single shot back from leader Bryson DeChambeau.
As the difficult back nine ebbed and flowed, DeChambeau would implode, with a double and quadruple bogey putting a stop to the defence of his title.
With Rahm and several others in contention, it seemed a mundane back nine of seven consecutive pars would put him short of yet another Major championship.
That was until a well placed bunker shot at the 17th was followed up by a sublime left-to-right birdie putt that never looked like missing.
Now tied with Oosthuizen and with a tonne of adrenaline flowing, Rahm would bomb his drive perfectly down the left side of the fairway.
Despite pushing his approach into the bunker, he would place the following shot to 15-feet, with yet another sloping left to right putt standing in his way.
The 18th green is one that Rahm is familiar with, with his eagle putt in 2017 all but announcing him on the world stage.
And with that memory firmly in the head of every golf fan around the world, the Spaniard would better it, holing an almost identical putt to that of the previous hole to huge fanfare around the 18th green.
Being greeted by his wife and his son, Kepa, Rahm would have a nerve wracking wait, with Oosthuizen still out on the course.
With pars at the 15th and 16th, he would find the hazard with his drive at the 17th, failing to get up-and-down for par.
Being forced to lay up on the 18th, Oosthuizen couldn't hole his wedge shot, leaving Rahm to claim his first Major title and the number one spot in the world.
Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover weekend news and social media, as well as help look after Golf Monthly’s many buyers’ guides and equipment reviews.
Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round came in 2016, where he shot a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine holes. He currently plays at Witney Lakes in Oxfordshire and his favourite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.
Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?
Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°
Fairway Wood: TaylorMade Rocketballz Stage 2, 15°, 19°
Hybrid: Adams Super Hybrid, 22°
Irons: Mizuno MP54, 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°
Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
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