Karma kicks in for Spaniard Rahm at US Open
Spain’s Jon Rahm has won his first PGA Tour major title, taking out the US Open in his first event since contracting the Covid-19 virus.
The 26-year-old triumphed at Torrey Pines in San Diego yesterday to win his sixth tour event by one shot from South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen after carding a final round 67 with birdies on the final two holes.
The Spaniard was playing for the first time since learning he had tested positive for Covid-19 after his third round at the Memorial three weeks ago when he was forced to withdraw while holding a six-shot lead.
‘‘I’m a great believer in karma,’’ said Rahm, who claimed ‘‘after what happened a couple of weeks ago, I stayed really positive’’, knowing ‘‘big things were coming’’.
The victory reinforced Torrey Pines’ place as a happy place for the Spaniard, who had the first of his six PGA Tour wins there at the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open. He also proposed to wife Kelley on the clifftops of the San Diego course during the 2018 PGA Championship.
Rahm said he couldn’t believe he had landed his putts on the last two holes to finish with back-toback birdies.
He told a television interviewer that he was proud to be the first Spaniard to win the US
Open. ‘‘This one’s for Seve, I know he tried a lot ...,’’ Rahm said, referring to late Spanish golf star Seve Ballesteros, who won the Masters twice and the British Open three times, and was third in the 1987 US Open.
Rahm, who had spent time in quarantine in Scottsdale, Arizona, before being allowed to report to Torrey Pines after two negative Covid tests, made a putt to remember at the 18th in the fourth round.
He got up and down from a greenside bunker on the par-five hole, sinking an 18-foot birdie putt to take a one-shot lead.
The advantage became two shots after Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, bogeyed the 17th.
The South African then birdied the 18th to record his sixth runner-up finish in a major.
Rahm had moved into a tie with Oosthuizen at five-under with a 24-foot birdie putt on the 17th and hit his drive on 18 into the fairway. His second shot drifted in the wind into the bunker and he played safely out to the right to avoid going in the water. The speedy putt curled down the hill into the hole, setting off a roar at Torrey Pines and a big fist pump from Rahm.
Earlier, four players who were one shot out of the lead on the back nine all faded.