AUGUSTA (AFP) – Jon Rahm was nearly in tears after winning an emotional triumph at the Masters on Sunday, what would have been the 66th birthday of his idol Seve Ballesteros.
Rahm overcame a four-stroke deficit at the start of a marathon 40-hole final day at Augusta National to defeat Americans Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson by four shots for his second major title, a victory that returns him to world number one.
“This one was for Seve,” Rahm said. “He was up there helping, and help he did.”
The 28-year-old Spaniard said he felt bolstered by the spirit of the late Ballesteros, who won his second Masters title 40 years ago.
“For me to get it done on the 40th anniversary of his win, his birthday, on Easter Sunday, it’s incredibly meaningful,” Rahm said.
Rahm achieved what he called a “true honor” in becoming the fourth Spaniard to grab the green jacket after Sergio Garcia, Jose Maria Olazabal and Ballesteros, who died of brain cancer in 2011 at age 54.
“Rest in peace Seve,” Rahm said to close his victory ceremony.
Rahm won the green jacket and took a record top prize of $3.24 million from a record $18 million purse.
Rahm’s methodical precision shotmaking down the bogey-free back nine delivered the triumph, a contrast to his emotional mood after the victory.
Rahm rescued a poor shot off the 18th tee for a closing par in much the same manner Ballesteros was known for doing.
Rahm held firm with a final-round three-under par 69 to finish on 12-under par 276 with four-time major winner Koepka and six-time major winner Mickelson sharing second on 280 and fellow Americans Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed and Russell Henley on 281.
Rahm, who also won the 2021 US Open, became the first European golfer to own that title and a Masters.
