Rahm overcame a four-stroke deficit early within the marathon 40-hole closing day at Augusta Nationwide to beat the People Brooks Koepka and defeated Phil Mickelson by 4 pictures for his second main title, a victory that returned him to world primary.
“It was for a service,” Rahm mentioned. “He was there serving to, and he helped.”
The 28-year-old Spaniard mentioned he was touched by the spirit of the late Ballesteros, who received his second Masters title 40 years in the past.
Rahm mentioned, “It’s extremely significant for me to do that on Easter Sunday, the fortieth anniversary of his victory, his birthday.”
Rahm referred to as it a “true honor” to develop into the fourth Spaniard to seize the inexperienced jacket after Sergio Garcia, José María Olazabal and Ballesteros, who died of mind most cancers in 2011 at age 54.
“Relaxation in peace,” Rahm mentioned on the shut of his victory celebration.
Rahm received the inexperienced jacket and took house a document prime prize of $3.24 million from a document $18 million purse.
On the 18th inexperienced moments after the victory was accomplished, Olazabal congratulated Rahm with an emotional hug.
“He mentioned he hopes that is the primary of many extra,” Rahm mentioned. “We each mentioned one thing about Sev, and if he had given us one other 10 seconds, I feel we each would have been in tears by the tip.”
Rahm’s methodically correct shot on the bogey-free again 9 clinched the victory, in stark distinction to his emotional temper after the victory.
Rahm mentioned, “I could have appeared calm, however I used to be undoubtedly nervous.” “I by no means panicked. I felt comfy about my recreation. I by no means bought annoyed. I by no means felt like something was uncontrolled. However there was stress outdoors.”
Rahm saved a nasty T-shirt shot within the 18th for the ending cross in the way in which Ballesteros was identified to do.
Rahm mentioned, “To complete it the way in which I did – an uncommon par, very a lot a save par – it was a testomony to him in a non-purposeful manner.” “He was pulling for me.”
Rahm shot a closing spherical three-under 69 at 12-under par 276 to tie four-time main winner Koepka and six-time main winner Mickelson with a 280 and tied for second with fellow American Jordan Spieth. Patrick Reed and Russell Henley on 281.
Rahm, who additionally received the 2021 US Open, turned the primary European golfer to carry the title and the Masters.
Rahm mentioned, “It is a very humbling feeling to be the primary individual to do one thing like this.”
Rahm, who has received three prior PGA Tour titles this yr, overtakes the 2022 Masters champion Scotty Scheffler topped the rankings after sharing the tenth spot with the American at 284.
Koepka, whose lead had been diminished from 4 pictures to 2 after the third spherical resumed on Sunday morning, carded a 75. He handed Rahm the lead with a bogey on the sixth — a part of a 6-over 19-hole stretch — and by no means recovered.
“Some days you’ve it, some days you do not and right now wasn’t a type of,” Koepka mentioned. “Tried to lastly give it a run, however it wasn’t adequate.”
Rahm’s five-foot birdie on the par-5 thirteenth, four-foot birdie at 14 and 4 closing pars thwarted 52-year-old Mickelson’s bid to interrupt his personal mark because the oldest main champion.
Three-time Masters champion Mickelson birdied 5 of the final seven holes to shoot 65, the bottom Masters spherical ever for a participant over 50.
“Sadly it wasn’t sufficient, however it was actually enjoyable for me to play at this degree once more,” Mickelson mentioned. “It is encouraging for me to sit up for the remainder of the yr.”
He had an opportunity to equal the best closing spherical comeback in main historical past – Paul Lawrie’s 1999 British Open rally 10 adrift.
However the American left-hander turned the oldest participant to complete within the prime 5 on the Masters.