Jon Rahm dominates to win first Masters

It takes a strong character to start your Major campaign with a double bogey and then go on and play the other 17 holes in nine-under-par. But this isn't just any golfer, this is the 2023 Masters Champion Jon Rahm.

After the first day, sharing the lead with Brooks Koepka and Viktor Hovland, the Spaniard said:

"If you're going to make a double bogey it might as well be on the first hole, so you have 71 to recover. Walking to the second tee I remembered Seve's quote when he was asked how can you four-putt when you're so good and he said 'I miss, I miss, I miss, I make'.

Rahm's mentality is one of the main reasons we believed that he would challenge this week and add the green jacket to his Major collection.

"I'm a week to week type of guy. Every single tournament I go to, my plan is to win and my mind doesn't deviate from that."

And win it he did. After completing his third round, Rahm went into the last 18 holes two shots behind Brooks Koepka. As Koepka drove his first tee shot way left you knew it was going to be an interesting time ahead.

Keeping his composure

In a final round which saw many players struggling with the greens, Rahm, mostly, managed to remain very steady and he capitalised on early errors by Koepka to move to the top of the leaderboard after six holes.

Steady and patient, maybe the two words you would use to describe the Spaniard's round as, even when he had a wayward shot, he kept his composure. Just one bogey on nine, made the back nine seem even more important but birdies on 13 and 14 gave him a four shot lead heading into the final hole.

The adrenaline must have been pumping as the 28-year-old got lucky with his drive bouncing back into the fairway on the final hole. Where he got up and down for a three-under-par 69 to finish on 12-under-par, securing his second Major and his fourth win of 2023.

It was great to see that he finally afforded himself a smile as he walked onto the 18th green and then lifted his hands to the sky when the final putt dropped.

Winning on Seve's birthday

"We all dream of things like this as players, and you try to visualise what it's going to be like and what it's going to feel like. I never thought I was going to cry by winning a golf tournament, but I got very close on that 18th hole.

"A lot of it because of what it means to me, and to Spanish golf: It's Spain's 10th major, fourth player to win the Masters, and my second major win. It's pretty incredible."

Winning on what would have been Seve Ballesteros' 66th birthday and 40 years after Seve won his second green jacket made the win even more poignant.

Although finishing in a tie for second will hit Koepka hard, regaining his health after his knee injury and challenging the very best in the game will stand him in good stead for the other three Majors this year.

Reflecting on his final round:

“I’ve known this for a while, but I guess it was just a matter of going out and doing it. I led for three rounds and just didn’t do it on the last day, that’s it. Plain and simple.

“Eventually this will be a positive. I’d say probably give it a week and I’ll start to see some positives out of it and carry this over to the PGA, the U.S. Open and The Open.

Round of the day to Mickelson

Charges came from unlikely corners, none more so than from Phil Mickelson who shot the round of the day, a seven-under-par 65. You thought he had turned back time when he won the PGA Championship in 2021, but he did it again on Masters Sunday.

There wasn't much coverage of him until the back nine, but why would there be when he started the day at one-under-par. Watching him make birdies at 15, 17 and 18, reminded us just how well he can play. Cutting a leaner and sombre figure this year, he finally let his emotion show on the final hole.

The 52-year-old, spoke to Sky Sports after his round:

"I'm grateful to be a part of this tournament and to be here competing and then to play well, it means a lot.”

“It just reaffirms that I knew I was close. I've been hitting quality shots. This doesn't feel like a fluke. It wasn't like I hit shots I haven't been hitting. I stayed present and didn't make loose swings or those bad swings at an inopportune time. I stayed very present and calm throughout, then executed and had a blast."

There will be talk about them & us (LIV verses PGA Tour) but for me it was great to watch the best male players in the world competing on one of the biggest stages, on neutral ground, where your golf game does the talking.

Did the right man win? I'd say the best man won and that's why Rahm is undoubtedly the best player on the planet at this point in time.

View the full Masters leaderboard here.