Masters 2023: Jon Rahm leaves LIV rivals Koepka and Mickelson in his wake as Spaniard claims Green Jacket at Augusta

JON RAHM struck a mighty blow against the LIV upstarts with a Masters triumph that also provided an emotional link to his boyhood idol, Seve Ballesteros.

Rahm easily saw off LIV rebels Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed on  a day when Seve – who died tragically of brain cancer in 2011 – would have celebrated his 66th birthday.

APJon Rahm ran away with the Masters on an epic Sunday at Augusta[/caption]

ReutersRahm held of the challenge of LIV rivals to claim a four-shot victory[/caption]

ReutersRahn celebrated with wife Kelley and son Kepa on the 18th green[/caption]

And this is also the 40th anniversary of the first of Ballesteros’ two Masters victories – ushering in a year where European golfers have consistently punched way above their weight at Augusta.

Seve – who loved to put one over on the Americans, at Augusta and in the Ryder Cup – was the first European winner here.

Rahm became the tenth player from the other side of the Atlantic to pull on a Green Jacket, with that posse of golfing greats sharing 15 victories between them.

Rahm is also the fourth Spanish golfer in that band of brothers, after Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal, and Sergio Garcia. 

That is a formidable foursome. 

And there were plenty of examples of that famous Spanish flair, as a final round 69 carried the Basque battler – Rahm hails from the northern village of Barrika, population 1,500 – to a four shot victory.

Rahmbo admitted he was very conscious of trying to continue the great Spanish tradition here, as he talked about it before teeing off on Thursday.

He said: “I’m obviously very aware that it’s the 40th anniversary since Seve’s second win out here. So it’s something that’s important to me, right? 

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ReutersRahm was presented with his iconic Green Jacket by last year’s winner Scottie Scheffler[/caption]

ReutersRahm edged out playing partner Brooks Koepka on the final day at Augusta[/caption]

“And I think when Ollie won in 1999, Sergio was making his first start in the Masters, as an amateur. And when Sergio won it was my first Masters as well. 

“I hope history repeats itself and I get to win some day.”

This was THAT day

Rahm, 28, rarely had an anxious moment as he swatted aside playing partner Brooks Koepka and dismissed a final day charge from his fellow LIV rebel Mickelson.

Three time Master champion Mickelson stormed into a share of second place with a sensational final round 65.

That was an astonishing performance from a 52-year-old who has shown no form since becoming the oldest Major winner ever at the 2021 USPGA, before accepting a $200million signing on for from LIV’s Saudi Arabian backers 

Mickelson even sidestepped last year’s Masters after causing uproar by describing his Saudi paymasters as “scary motherf***ers”.

He can still be a bit frightening himself when he gets the bit between his teeth as a course that has provided him with so many happy memories.

Reed, the 2018 champion, also made a final day run with a closing 68, but had to settle for a share of fourth with Jordan Spieth.

The final day spectators also witnessed an amazing collapse by four-time Major winner Koepka, who only secured joint second with two late birdies, once his shot at the title had gone.

Koepka seemed to have one arm in the green jacket after leading from day one, when he was one of three players to open with a 65.

He took the solo lead two holes into the second round, and was there to be shot at from that point on.

But the writing was on the hole just a few minutes after he returned to the course yesterday morning to complete the 13 holes left from the rain-delayed third round.

Koepka was four shots clear of Rahm at 13 under par – but he faced the nervous prospect of an eleven footer for par at the seventh, while his playing partner had a birdie chance for three feet closer.

Kopeka missed. Rahm made his.

And from that point onward the momentum was always with the world No 3, who was the great hope of a victory for the golfing establishment over the LIV money-grabbers.

Koepka still clung to a two shot lead after 54 holes, but Rahm’s birdie at the third and a bogey from the American at the fourth brought them level.

Another dropped shot at the short sixth menat Kopeka had to look at a leaderboard without his name on top of it for the first time in almost 72 hours. 

It did not make for pretty viewing. And neither did his golf as he plunged to four over for his round through 12 holes, to fall three shots off the lead.

It would have been easy to blame the fact that this was a round too far for Koepka, who only has to play three rounds in each event on the breakaway circuit.

But the flying finishes from Mickelson and Reed meant that was no excuse. He was just way below his best.

Rahm knew he did not have to do anything special as the rest failed to land a meaningful blow – but he almost did that anyway, as he went close to chipping in for an eagle at the par five eighth.

Most pundits say the Masters only really begins once the leaders get to the back nine.

Not this time. It was already done and dusted, and Rahm made doubly sure with back-to-back birdies at 13 and 14.

He was simply a class above the rest.