Day: January 30, 2017

Rahm’s emotional eagles lead to first winRahm’s emotional eagles lead to first win

Welcome to the Monday Finish, where Jon Rahm showed us we have another Spanish swashbuckler to enjoy as he closed in sensational fashion to claim his first PGA TOUR victory. Here’s five observations from the Farmers Insurance Open where Rahm used aggression to his advantage on the brutal U.S. Open style layout. FIRST OBSERVATIONS 1. Nine players led at some point on Sunday at Torrey Pines South Course but only one closed like a freight train when it mattered. Jon Rahm, the Spanish superstar who twice won the Ben Hogan award and who was the world No. 1 amateur for quite some time before embarking on his pro career, stepped up in the clutch. While others treated the 2008 U.S. Open venue with respect, Rahm stood on its throat on the back nine, coming home in 6-under 30 to win by three. His birdie-eagle finish announced the “birth” of a new champion and now the sky appears to be the limit. 2. Rahm spoke openly about being aggressive on the back nine Sunday, a trait that will no doubt see him win … and lose … his fair share of tournaments down the line. He attacked pins from all over the course, including a fairway bunker on 13, to give himself every chance of success. At any moment he could’ve lost control … but it was indeed his day. Spain’s long list of star players have long had this emotional way of playing golf and to be honest it is quite refreshing. From the halcyon days of Seve Ballesteros and through the ups and downs with Sergio Garcia and many other Spanish players we have been treated to some fantastic theater. Let’s hope Rahm brings us a few decades or more of the same. 3. C.T. Pan is a sensational ambassador for the new pathways to the PGA TOUR. Playing on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada in 2015 Pan won twice and forced his way through to Web.com Tour status for 2016 after finishing second on the money list. From there the Chinese Taipei Olympian finished with seven top-10s in 2016, finishing 11th on the money list to earn a crack at the PGA TOUR this season. Now, just eight events in this season he has two top 10s after his runner-up this week and sits a more than admirable 18th in the FedExCup. He might not be the biggest guy on TOUR at 5 feet, 6 inches but his game packs a punch. 4. Charles Howell III continues to knock on the door of a third PGA TOUR win. While he hasn’t won since 2007 Howell has continued to notch up high results. In his 15 appearances at the Farmers Insurance Open he has now made all 15 cuts and Sunday was his third runner up finish and seventh top-10 at Torrey Pines. He has made $2,550,843.42 at the event without ever winning it. Since the last of his two wins Howell III now has 46 top-10s and has made $17,776,937. 5. Defending champion Brandt Snedeker may have faded to a T9 finish but it was still a very impressive title defense from Sneds. On Sunday he quite clearly wasn’t at his best from the tee box or on the approach but still he gutted his way around to remain somewhat in the mix. If not for Rahm’s stellar finish he may have still been able to muster a late miracle to contend. He now has seven top-10s at Torrey Pines from 11 starts with two wins, two 2nds and a 3rd. You’d be mad not to think he will be ready to contend again at his next start – the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He’s won there twice before as well.  FIVE INSIGHTS 1. With his victory at the Farmers Insurance Open, Rahm wins his first career TOUR event at the age of 22 years, 2 months and 19 days in just his 17th TOUR start. It was just his 12th as a professional. Six players in their 20s have combined for eight TOUR wins already this season as the youth brigade continues to shine. Rahm is the youngest winner this season and the youngest ever winner of the Farmers Insurance Open. By comparison, fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia earned his inaugural TOUR win in his 36th start at age 21 years, 4 months, 11 days (2001 DEAN & DELUCA Invitational). Rahm follows Jay Don Blake (1991) in making the Farmers Insurance Open their inaugural TOUR win. 2. Rahm earned 500 FedExCup points and moves from No. 77 to No. 6 in the FedExCup standings through 11 events. Justin Thomas retains the lead with 1,614. It took 454 points to qualify for the PGA TOUR playoffs for the FedExCup in 2015-16. 3. Rahm recorded three eagles this week and two eagles in his final six holes. He has played 42 rounds on the PGA TOUR as a professional totaling 756 holes. In his first 687 holes as a professional, Rahm recorded just five eagles and in his last 69 holes this week recorded three including his 61-foot hole-out from just off the green on his final hole. His two eagles in the final round was the first time he has recorded two eagles in the same round on TOUR and is the first winner to make two eagles in a final round and go on to win since Davis Love III at the 2015 Wyndham Championship. He is also the first winner since Tiger Woods in 1999 to eagle his final hole and go on to win the Farmers Insurance Open. 4. In three rounds at Torrey Pines South Course, Rahm ranked 1st in strokes gained: off-the-tee and 4th for strokes gained: approach-the-green. In the final round, Rahm outperformed the field by +3.104 strokes in strokes gained: approach-the-green. His proximity to the hole was over 13 feet closer than the field average of 38 feet. 5. Rahm’s 6-under 30 on the back nine in the final round was nearly six shots better than the field average. On the par-5s for the week Rahm was a combined 11-under, outperforming the field by seven shots. TOP-3 VIDEOS 1. Jon Rahm and his caddie studied the lengthy eagle attempt on the 72nd hole for some time … and then this happened … 2. Sebastian Munoz didn’t bother using his putter for an eagle. Taking dead aim from 153 yards out.  3. Phil being Phil.

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