Onwards and upwards. Another step forward in his career. Another step higher. Continuing to set the bar high. Jon Rahm did what no other golfer has done before in the PGA Tour in THE PLAYERS.
He started the last round at the top of the leaderboard with sole possession of first place. It was the aftermath of exceptional golf from Thursday to Saturday, especially in the third round, when he polished off his game with a 64 at the end of the day.
Jon did not manage to win the tournament on Sunday. He was still alive up until the 16th hole, but the round started to slip away due to a bad day with the drive, and an outstanding performance by Rory McIlroy, who took home the trophy in the end. It’s another notch to add to his belt in his professional career. He had never started so high up in the rankings in the last round of a major tournament before. It’s knowledge, and a learning experience.
It was tough to kick it into gear for Rahm in the last round, but he fought hard. He made three bogeys on the first four holes, and thus gave up his leadership. However, he bounced back with two majestic birdies on the 6th and 8th holes, and made his way back to the top, once again. Then, he made a bogey on the 11th hole after the ball landed in the water. And it seemed as though he was starting to fall back, when suddenly, he emerged with a solid birdie on the 13th hole.
From there, he had issues off the tee. It wasn’t his best day with the drive. He missed the fairways on the 14th, 15th and 16th, and he was unable to gain ground on those holes. On the 14th, he made a good par, and on the 15th he made a bogey, and on the 16th, birdie hole and even eagle hole, he had to conform with par. In the end, the ball landed in the water on the 17th for a harsh finale. He made a double bogey, and as a result, got bumped down quite a bit in the rankings, finishing in twelfth place.
Again, it was not the best Sunday to win the tournament, but he earned the chance to finish minimum in the top five with flying colors.
In any event, it’s another door Jon has managed to break down. His attitude was exemplary the entire week, he remained calm and collected throughout all four days. Rahm rose to the occasion amidst adversities, and there’s no doubt this experience will be crucial for him in the upcoming big tournaments.