On Sunday, Spaniard Jon Rahm won the Masters, which was the biggest win of his career to that point, and he said that he felt the presence of his idol, the late Seve Ballesteros, helping pull him through.
The fact that Rahm’s victory, which marked his second major title, took place on the 40th anniversary of his compatriot’s second win at Augusta National and on the day that Ballesteros would have turned 66 made it an especially meaningful accomplishment for Rahm.
“Still hasn’t quite registered in my mind yet. I am examining the scores, and based on what I see, I believe that I still have a few more holes in which to win “After he made the winning putt, Rahm looked up toward the heavens and raised his hands in a prayer position. “I don’t think there’s much more that needs to be said. Dedicated to Seve, this one. He was up there helping, and he did help in that capacity.”
Ballesteros, who passed away in 2011 from brain cancer, served as an inspiration to a generation of golfers in his country and won two Masters titles on his way to a total of five major championships.
Rahm was two shots behind Brooks Koepka entering the final round and needed four holes to close the gap. He pulled ahead at the par-three sixth hole and never relinquished the lead after that point in the round.
The Spaniard, whose most recent major victory came at the 2021 U.S. Open, was a pre-tournament favorite at Augusta National but was unaware of the significance of what day the final round fell on until he arrived at the course. His most recent major victory came at the 2021 U.S. Open.
“I was told a lot of things about why this could be the year, and I just didn’t want to buy into it too much,” said Rahm, who will reclaim the top spot in the world rankings when it is officially announced.
Even though Rahm got off to a terrible start with a four-putt double-bogey on his first hole on Thursday, he refused to let that one shot define the rest of his week and went on to win the tournament.
Rahm, who has stated that Ballesteros is the reason he started playing golf and that he dreamed of matching everything he achieved in the sport, was the sentimental favorite when he set out in the final pairing with Koepka. Koepka, on the other hand, was the favorite based on his performance in the tournament.
“I could not stop hearing, “Seve! Seve!” Seve! For the love of Seve! I’ve been hearing that throughout the entire back nine “said Rahm.
“That may have been the most difficult thing to control today, the emotion of knowing what it could be if I were to win; that may have been the most difficult thing,” he said. “That may have been the most difficult thing.”
On the final hole, with victory all but assured, Rahm pulled his drive into the trees and ended up having to hit a provisional. After that, he proceeded to do his best impression of Ballesteros, who was known as the game’s all-time escape artist, and he got up and down for par.
According to Rahm, “For me to get it done on the 40th anniversary of his win, his birthday, and on Easter Sunday, it is extremely meaningful.”
“To finish it off the way I did – an unusual par, very much a Seve par, it was in a non-purposeful way, a testament to him, and I know he was pulling for me today, and it was a great Sunday,” said Tiger Woods. “To finish it off the way I did – an unusual par, very much a Seve par.”
