Sports Writing (USA), Apr 9 (EFE).- The Spanish Jon Rahm is the new champion of the Augusta Masters after beating the American Brooks Koepka this Sunday by four strokes, signing a final card of 276 strokes, twelve below par from the historic course at Augusta National.
Rahm signed a 69-shot card in the final round, with a single ‘bogey’ and four ‘birdies’ on three, eight, thirteen and fourteen. He is the second ‘big’ that the Spaniard wins after his triumph in 2021 at the US Open.
It is the sixth Masters won by Spanish golf after the two titles won by Seve Ballesteros in 1980 and 1983, the two by José María Olazábal in 1994 and 1999, plus the one won by Sergio García in 2017. Rahm is, therefore, the fourth Spaniard to put on the green jacket, six years after the one from Borriol did it.
The man from Barrika played intelligent and practical golf, improving his performance in the third round and ensuring his shots so as not to make mistakes. He improved on the ‘greens’ and barely left the ‘fairway’, something that his rivals could not boast of, who made many inaccuracies that kept them away from the title options.
A THIRD ROUND WITH DOUBTS
It was a very long day at Augusta National, with the third round resuming in the early morning and the entire final round in the afternoon.
Rahm managed to make up for his bad finish on Saturday, which he came with two ‘bogeys’ in his last three holes played. On Sunday morning he started with ‘birdies’ at seven and eight, cutting Koepka a blow thanks to the American choking on the seventh, leaving the ‘fairway’ and falling into the bunker.
Two more bogeys by Rahm on 13 and 16 showed problems with his putting, he couldn’t read the greens as well as on previous days.
The news on Sunday morning was the withdrawal of Tiger Woods before facing the eighth hole of the third round, he couldn’t take the pain in his leg anymore.
The third round closed with Koepka leading and Rahm just two shots away. The threat came from behind with names like Hovland himself, Cantlay and Matsuyama, all far away but at a very good time.
RAHM’S TEMPERANCE IN THE FINAL ROUND
Rahm held firm on his way to the green jacket on Sunday afternoon, overcoming a poor close to the third round hours earlier and regaining his confidence. Something that contrasted with a Koepka full of doubts, with three ‘bogeys’ in the first nine holes.
This is how the one from Barrika reached the first place, which he would never leave again. His ‘birdie’ in the three, added to Koepka’s ‘bogey’ in the four, raised the Spaniard to the top.
Koepka’s first birdie in the final round didn’t come until the thirteenth hole, the American snorted, releasing some frustration. It did not have an immediate effect because in that same hole Rahm also finished with four shots and extended his card to -11.
At 14 there was more distance, another ‘birdie’ from a Rahm full of confidence who smiled in conversations with his caddy Adam Hayes, caressing success.
In the 16th minute Koepka wanted to add emotion with a ‘birdie’ and with two holes to play Rahm dominated by three strokes. He was ephemeral, because at the start of 17 the Spaniard put it on the street with a great drive and the Florida man sent it against the public.
Rahm limited himself to ensuring par for the course, not taking risks from 15 to 18, and enjoying his walk as he reached the last ‘green’, where he received a well-deserved ovation and was able to hug his wife, his children, and a Chema Olazabal excited.
THE MIRACLE OF PHIL MICKELSON
At 52, Phil Mickelson impressed in his last round with as many as eight birdies, five of them coming over the last seven holes.
The last of them to close his participation in the 18th with an applause from the Augusta public and headed for the locker room wondering if he would be a real threat to a Rahm who was holding on and a Koepka in free fall.
With -8 on his card, he was second, becoming the oldest to finish in the Top 5, an honor that Jimmy Demaret had until then when he achieved it at the age of 51.
