Jon Rahm Wins Open De Espana
Rahm beat Paul Dunne by two strokes to win his third European Tour title
The world number four shot a closing 67 to win his national Open by two strokes
Jon Rahm Wins Open De Espana
Jon Rahm shot a closing 67 to win the Open de Espana at Golf Central de Nacional.
The world number four began the day behind overnight leader Paul Dunne but a birdie-birdie start from the Spaniard saw him tied for the lead after two holes.
Related: Jon Rahm What's in the bag?
He continued for a two-under-par front nine of 34.
He then came home in three under with a bogey-free back nine of 33 to hold off Dunne and Nacho Elvira.
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Rahm chipped in for birdie on the 10th to take the lead for the third time in the round and then was two clear after 13. He birdied the 18th for victory.
Paul Dunne birdied 18 to pip Elvira to second place after the Spaniard double-bogeyed the 17th.
Watch highlights of Rahm's winning 67:
Rahm becomes just the sixth Spaniard to win the Open de Espana since the European Tour was formed in 1972, following on from Antonio Garrido, Seve Ballesteros, Sergio Garcia, Alvaro Quiros and Miguel Ángel Jiménez.
He also reaches three European Tour victories quicker than any other player, having captured his third title in just 19 starts.
He won his first European Tour title last July at the Irish Open before win number two at the DP World Tour Championship in November.
"It's such a satisfying feeling," he told the European Tour after victory.
"When I made the decision to come straight from Augusta it wouldn't be to just show up and walk around, I wanted to win this tournament.
"I've been blessed to be national champion from 16 to all ages in Spain. To round my amateur and pro career together in this way and win the last one I had to win and join that prestigious list of Spanish winners, it's hard to explain how good it feels and how satisfying it is.
"It's been amazing. It's truly been the hardest Sunday I've ever had in any tournament that I've won because the crowd wanted it so much and I wanted it so much. You can tell how excited everybody is, I felt that tension, I felt that stress, I felt everything magnified. They played a huge part, I came for them mainly so I'm just glad I can win this one for the Spanish people."
Open de Espana leaderboard:
1 Jon Rahm -20 €250,000
2 Paul Dunne -18 €166,660
3 Nacho Elvira -17 €93,900
4 George Coetzee -16 €75,000
T5 Jorge Campillo -15 €49,650
T5 Brett Rumford -15 €49,650
T5 Henric Sturehed -15 €49,650
T5 Marc Warren -15 €49,650
T9 Julien Guerrier -14 €30,400
T9 Jacques Kruyswijk -14 €30,400
T9 Hideto Tanihara -14 €30,400
*Note: Player score in bold signifies Titleist ball usage
Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: Titleist TSi2
Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1
Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: Srixon Z Star XV
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