After displaying class at JCB Golf & Country Club on Sunday and defeating rivals Andy Ogletree, Tyrrell Hatton, Paul Casey, and Joaquin Niemann, Jon Rahm has won his first LIV Golf event.
At the JCB Golf & Country Club in Staffordshire on Sunday, Jon Rahm produced a masterful closing round and ended his quest for his first LIV Golf victory.
At nine-under-par to begin the day, Rahm was three shots behind leader Andy Ogletree, who was being pursued by Cam Smith and Tyrrell Hatton. However, the Spaniard overcame Hatton by one stroke with a final round 67 to finish 13 under par.
The 29-year-old, who left the PGA Tour to join the breakaway circuit for a rumored £450 million deal, was LIV’s standout off-season acquisition in December. But the first ten events of the season had been excruciating for him.
The two-time major champion did not enter the winners’ circle, although he did place in the top 10 in all nine events he participated in. He was forced to miss his other start in Houston due to a foot issue.
However, following several close calls, the former world number one wins for the first time this year and takes home the £3.1 million top prize. In addition, he received a portion of the £1.2 million team prize after his Legion XIII team won the JCB team tournament.
“First of all, I’ve gotta give Tyrrell a lot of credit; he’s a fantastic player and you never want to see it end like that,” Rahm said in a post-match statement. If only it had happened during the playoffs.
“You know, it’s emotional. Our family hasn’t had the easiest year. I’ve been through a lot with [my wife]. To finish this one… When she informed me that our son had urged her to bring a trophy home, I began to think that it would happen today. Just a relief, it’s been an amazing week and year.”
Rahm will now travel to the Olympics with David Puig, representing Spain. And he thinks that his victory in England will provide him with the finest possible lead-up to his trip to Paris.
He went on: “It gave me a little bit more confidence to get over the hill and the hump. I’m incredibly excited to spend the week with David, and maybe we can both win the gold.”
As the Englishman approached the final hole, Rahm and Hatton were tied. However, Hatton’s approach was unsuccessful, leaving him with a challenging two-putt to force a playoff. With minimal effort, he gave himself about eight feet for par, and Rahm was declared the winner.
Smith and Niemann finished in a tie for second place with Hatton thanks to late surges. Ogletree faded on the back nine and ended in a tie for sixth place with a final round three over par.