If you didn’t believe in karma before, believe it now. Just two weeks after having to withdraw from The Memorial with a six-shot lead after 54 holes due to a positive Covid-19 test, Spanish star Jon Rahm nailed two long, snaking birdies on the last two holes to win the 121st US Open at Torrey Pines and claim his maiden Major title.
“This is the power of positive thinking. I was never resentful for one second for what happened. And I don’t blame anybody,” said Rahm, who closed with 67 for a six-under-par total and a one-shot victory over South African Louis Oosthuizen.
“It’s been a difficult year, and unfortunately Covid is a reality in this world, and it’s affected a lot of people. I got out of what happened the best possible hand because nobody in my family got sick. I barely got any symptoms.
“I have to mention, we have lost a lot of people back home. We have lost some friends. This one is to a friend of mine, who was a journalist who had just started getting into golf … and he was basically following me around the world of golf. And when he started he had no idea what golf was, and he
passed away a few months ago from Covid. Like him, there’s many people in this world,” added the 26-year-old.
Rahm stressed that no matter how momentous his win was, Covid-19 was still a stark reality. “We still have to be aware of what’s going on in this world. Take care of yourself and everybody around you so we can get over this as quick as possible.”
Becoming a father recently when he and wife Kelley welcomed son Kepa in April, the once-volatile Rahm noted that parental responsibility has helped him stay much calmer on course.
“I believe becoming a dad was always going to help me because before, I could always have the excuse that getting mad helped me out, helped
me win golf tournaments … but right now I’m a role model to my son. I’m going to be, as I am to many kids out there,” he said.
“Now I understand what I can do, and I know I can perform at my best without showing my frustration so much. I made that deal with myself after the third round of the PGA. I wasn’t happy with how I ended, and I could have handled it better, and I vowed to myself to be a better role model for my son. He won’t remember any of this because he’s only ten weeks old, but I do. Hopefully in the future, he can grow up to be someone who’s proud of his dad. I hope I can provide that example.”
Jon Rahm – With This Win:
• Wins first Major championship in his 20th Major start at the age of 26 years, 7 months and 10 days
• Becomes the fourth player from Spain to win a Major following Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia
• Becomes the first Spanish player to win the US Open
• Moves to No 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time since August 2020
• Earns sixth PGA Tour win at the site of his maiden PGA Tour win at the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open
• 67 marks his lowest round in a US Open; becomes the 15th player to record a 67 or better in the final round and go on to win
• Becomes the fourth player to birdie the 71st and 72nd holes en route to a US Open victory following Ben Hogan (1953/Oakmont), Jack Nicklaus (1980/Baltusrol) and Tom Watson (1982/Pebble Beach)
