It had to be at his beloved Torrey Pines. In San Diego. There couldn’t have been a more special place for Jon Rahm to undergo the most important win of his career to date. He won the 121st edition of the US Open Championship.
Jon accomplished this enormous feat and won this MAJOR at just 26 years old, on his twentieth attempt. He pulled it off for the first time he made it to the final holes with options to win one of these major events. That’s where he left his mark as champion.
Rahm won with the final round of his dreams. He handed in the best card of the day, 67 shots, and took home the victory with a total final score of six under par. He started the day off by sending a message out to all of his rivals, setting the tone. He made birdies on the 1st and 2nd holes. I am here, and I came to win. Shortly after, he shot his only bogey of the day, on the 4th, and from there on out, a truly fantastic version of his game unfolded. He created many options for birdie, but he couldn’t quite follow through, until the 9th hole, with a legendary third shot, which landed just over a meter away from the hole.
Jon was playing really well, but he saved the best for last. He made two epic birdies on the 17th and 18th holes, sinking two very delicate putts, with very downward slopes, calm and collected, beautiful, exhilarating. Two putts that will go down in history in the US Open. He did it Tiger Woods style, with the same position of the flag, landing, of course, the birdie on the 18th. Because that’s how Rahm always does things, all in.
The golfer from Barrika will go down in history, once again, after becoming the fourth (different) Spaniard to win a Major, and the first to win a US Open. He joined the winners circle with Seve Ballesteros, Jose María Olazábal and Sergio García, but he left his special mark. Spanish golf has never reached these heights. It’s the ninth Major for Spain.
This victory, dreamed of and sought out by Jon, is another enormous leap forward in his career, a huge step. He has now recovered the Number 1 spot in the world, he’s first in the Race to Dubai in the European Tour and second in the FedEx Cup. Jon pulled it all off in the company of his wife, Kelley, their son, Kepa, and his parents, Edorta and Ángela. It couldn’t have been a happier ending, although the truth is, the sensation we’re left with is that this story is only just beginning. Legend, Jon.