PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 19: Jon Rahm of Spain celebrates with the trophy after placing in to win The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Nation Membership on the 18th inexperienced on February 19, 2023 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Picture by Harry How/Getty Pictures)
Can Jon Rahm be stopped? The Spaniard continued his dominance of the PGA Tour by including his third title of the season on the Genesis Invitational on Sunday
Like snow on a crisp winter morning, Jon Rahm and profitable appear inevitable.
Rahm continued his unbelievable run atop the golf world on Sunday, profitable the Genesis Invitational at Riviera by two pictures over Max Homa and as soon as once more ascending to the highest of the World Golf Rankings. The win was Rahm’s third already within the 2023 PGA Tour season, one thing nobody had finished this early since Johnny Miller in 1975.
In a event that prominently featured the return of Tiger Woods to competitors, Rahm’s document is starting to conjure pictures of Tiger’s prime. He’s received 3 times over his final 5 PGA Tour begins. Together with worldwide occasions, he’s received 5 of his final 9 tournaments. He hasn’t completed outdoors the highest 10 in an everyday stroke-play occasion for the reason that Open Championship seven months in the past. Rahm has already earned almost $10 million in prize cash after profitable for the second time in three tries on the PGA Tour’s new “elevated” occasions.
What made this event distinctive, except for the historical past of the course and the ambiance created by the large galleries that got here out to catch a glimpse of Woods, was that Rahm typically didn’t play his finest this week and nonetheless beat a area that featured 19 of the highest 20 gamers on the planet, and 23 of the highest 25. He ranked solely thirty fifth in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee as he battled a hook together with his driver, constantly lacking tee pictures to the left. He hit simply 41 p.c of his fairways this week, 63rd out of the 68 gamers to make the minimize.
Nonetheless, after 54 holes, Rahm discovered himself in a now-familiar state of affairs: on the high of the leaderboard, three pictures forward of the hometown hero Homa. However he made a large number of the tenth gap on Sunday, taking 4 pictures to hit the inexperienced on the brief par-four and making a bogey. He didn’t birdie the par-five eleventh after chipping far previous the pin, smashing his wedge on the bottom in frustration. Rahm then three-putt for an additional bogey on the twelfth as Homa handed him for the lead.
Rahm responded by holing a 46-foot putt from the again of the 14th inexperienced for a birdie. On the par-three sixteenth, Rahm took out an eight-iron and took useless purpose on the flag. “Be the freaking quantity,” he pleaded to his ball because it sailed by the California air. It settled inside three ft of the cup and led to a different birdie as Rahm retook the lead for good. He completed at 17-under for the event after a final-round 69. Rahm’s run bringing again reminiscences of Tiger’s peak
Rahm has made profitable appear routine this season. After his first main win on the 2021 U.S. Open, Rahm received simply as soon as over the subsequent 18 months. Profitable was laborious again then; now it’s virtually anticipated out of essentially the most dominant participant on the planet. At his peak, Woods was able to lengthy stretches when the remainder of the sector was taking part in for second, though he has by no means received at Riviera or the event he now hosts. Rahm is on a type of Tiger-like runs proper now.
“I’m conscious of the magnitude of this second and this golf course. I’ve by no means had three PGA Tour wins in a season, and to do it this early on is unbelievable,” Rahm stated following his win. “And to do it at this golf course. Discuss concerning the historical past of Riviera as a golf course. Discuss concerning the historical past of Tiger Woods as a participant. These two mixed and this event, it’s a reasonably large deal.”
With one other trophy so as to add to his assortment, Rahm handed legendary countryman Seve Ballesteros together with his tenth PGA Tour win. He’s nonetheless simply 28 years previous and taking part in higher than he’s ever had.
Homa, who had the very best take a look at Rahm’s dominance over the past two days, in contrast him after his spherical to Thanos, the Marvel villain who solely has to snap his fingers to defeat his rivals. Profitable on the PGA Tour isn’t speculated to be that straightforward, however Rahm is making it look so for him.