The story of Spanish triumphs at the Masters Tournament in Augusta has, for now, come to an end. Six victories have made Spanish golfers—and, by extension, Spanish golf as a whole—an indispensable force on the world stage. This time, we focus on Jon Rahm's 2023 Masters victory, which definitively cemented the legacy of the man who, two years earlier, had become the first Spaniard to win the U.S. Open.

Severiano Ballesteros, always present

“It had to be today.” With these words, lying in the arms of José María Olazábal, Jon Rahm summed up the feelings of the nearly 300,000 Spanish golfers who cheered him on from their living rooms on an exhausting Sunday. On the same day that his idol Severiano Ballesteros would have turned 66, the Basque golfer became the fourth Spanish player to win the Masters Tournament at Augusta. The greatest among the greats.

Seve, winner in 1980 and 1983; Chema, winner in 1994 and 1999; and Sergio García, winner in 2017, were the three role models for Jon Rahm in his quest for the coveted green jacket, which came to him at 28 years old and which brought with it an associated prize: the recovery of the number 1 spot in the World Ranking.

Data that supports a spectacular trajectory

One statistic that highlighted Jon Rahm's achievements in his eight years as a professional: the only European player to win both the US Open and the Masters Tournament. No one else has done it. "It seems unreal, incredible," the Spanish golfer said at a press conference.

Jon Rahm knew that April 9th was the moment to continue making history, and he knew Augusta National was the place. All that remained was to wait for Brooks Koepka, absolutely unstoppable on Friday and Saturday, to falter, so he could strike decisively. And when the American lost his footing slightly, Rahm was there.

The player from Barrika resumed the third round early Sunday morning at the same spot where he'd left off on a rainy Saturday: with a birdie opportunity that could have cut his four-stroke lead over Koepka. He made the birdie and added another on the 8th to reach the clubhouse for a well-deserved rest before the final two-stroke challenge behind the American.

Eighteen final masterful holes 

The anticipated duel between Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm for the Masters title didn't quite materialize. Or at least, not entirely, as while the Spaniard played his cards intelligently and effectively at key moments, the American faltered in the first half of the round. And that was unusual for a player with such a proven ability to deliver his best in crucial situations.

Before delving deeper into this situation, it's worth highlighting the excitement brought to the final round by two illustrious players with experience winning at Augusta: Phil Mickelson (-8 overall) and Jordan Spieth (-7). Both finished with rounds of 65 and 66 strokes, respectively, which would have put them in a playoff position should the leaders falter. 

Koepka did it with his most lackluster golf of the week – four bogeys, some in the first twelve holes – but not Jon Rahm. The Spaniard sealed his first birdie of the day on the 3rd hole with a good putt of about two meters and repeated the feat on the 8th with an excellent fourth shot that left the ball inches from the hole.

From that point on, despite the bogey on the 9th, he felt in control and acted accordingly. The two birdies on the 13th and 14th, the result of seemingly easy putts thanks to his solid iron play, practically sealed the deal and granted him a rare pleasure: enjoying a comfortable final few holes at Augusta.

To provide some context, Jon Rahm won with a total of -12, four strokes ahead of Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson. He was joint leader after the first round with Norway's Viktor Hovland, both with 65 strokes (-7), and managed well despite the difficulties and discomfort caused by the heavy rains that lashed the Georgia course on Friday and Saturday.

There he began to win the sixth title in Augusta for Spain, right on Seve's birthday and when forty years were being celebrated since the Genius of Pedreña's second green jacket. 

“Winning on Seve’s birthday is very special”

Moments before receiving his first green jacket, Jon Rahm emphasized that for him, “the history of this sport is very important. Seve is one of the reasons I started playing golf, and winning on Seve's birthday is very special; it's a tribute I'm paying him. The birdie on the 8th hole was key; I had to get past Amen Corner, where birdies were being made, and then it was also important not to get into trouble on the 11th and 12th, and on the 13th was when I started to attack.”.

One of the first people Rahm encountered after sinking his putt on the 18th was José María Olazábal, whom he embraced warmly. “I hope it’s the first of many,” he told me on the 18th hole. ”He also mentioned Seve, and if I’d spent a little more time with him, we both would have burst into tears,” said the emotional 2023 Masters winner.