Winner: Jon Rahm
Around the wider world of golf: Tommy Fleetwood defied the analysts by defending his title at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on the ET; Sergio Garcia got his season off and running by running away with the title at the SMBC Singapore Open on the Japan Golf Tour; and Jerry Kelly shocked the Champions Tour players by winning the Mitsubishi Electric Championship on the final hole. The Web.com Tour's Great Abaco Classic and the Latin America Amateur Championship don't finish for a couple of days yet.
Let's be instantly approximately this: If Jon Rahm had performed whatever on the par-5s at the Stadium Course on Sunday -- ANYTHING AT ALL -- this event would not have even been close. He turned into 13-below on them over the first 3 days (eleven birdies and 1 eagle).
He was even par on them Sunday. Even par. And yet only Andrew Landry was able to make a playoff with him. This should frighten the rest of the field in any event Rahm plays.
Don't misunderstand me -- I have nothing but respect for Landry. As I say, he's the only player to force a playoff, and then he took Rahm four extra holes before one of them could manage a birdie to win. (Don't forget, it was getting late and it's always darker on the course than we can see on TV.)
But this is Rahm's fourth win in only one year. (He defends at Torrey this week, where he picked up his first win.) He's got two ET wins and two PGA Tour wins now. And I assume you may chalk a part of that up to his choice to make the Ryder Cup group this yr. (As if that have to be a problem. He'll be #2 in the international by the point maximum of you examine this.)
No, I discuss with Rahm's struggles in the majors final year. In case you failed to word, GC stored drawing interest to the similarities among the PGA West Stadium Course and TPC Sawgrass, domestic of the PLAYERS. Rahm did not play properly there remaining year (or at CareerBuilder, for that count) however this will indicate that he's progressed. And people who play well at Sawgrass frequently play properly at the majors.
I'm simply sayin'...
As Rahm heads out for his Torrey protection this week, he may be on the verge of a run of precise play to compete with DJ, Jordan, Justin and the like. In the interim, I higher get my Limerick Summary muscular tissues in shape, just in case...
After four greater holes, Jon had won;
Now he goes to shield primary
Of his wins on the Tour?
And we will?T say for certain
But this might be the start of a run. The photo came from the tournament page at PGATOUR.com.
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