Day: January 23, 2023

LA QUINTA, Calif. - Jon Rahm has been a near-unstoppable force in recent months. His victory at The American Express is his fourth win in five official starts worldwide, including the Sentry Tournament of Champions two weeks ago, a dramatic rally from six strokes back with seven holes to play on Maui. This week, Rahm needed no such heroics. He shared the 54-hole lead with TOUR rookie Davis Thompson and carded a final-round, 4-under 68 at PGA West's Stadium Course to edge Thompson for a one-stroke victory at 27 under. Rahm's ultimate edge came via a 9-foot birdie at the par-5 16th hole Sunday; Thompson made par, and both players parred out. The victory propels Rahm to the No. 1 spot on the season-long FedExCup standings, 500 points accrued for his victory in the Coachella Valley. "You're seeing now, let's say, the fruits of all the labor I've put in," Rahm said Sunday evening at The American Express. "I felt like I was swinging really well last year; the results were just not happening. And they're coming in a bunch right now." Rahm began the week at No. 4 on the FedExCup, trailing Seamus Power, Max Homa and Tom Kim respectively. Kim moves to No. 2 following a T6 finish at The American Express, followed by Power, Homa and Brian Harman to round out the top five. Kim was on-hand to provide congratulations to Rahm following a closing par for a one-stroke win in the California desert. Rahm leads the FedExCup having made just three official TOUR starts in 2022-23. He finished T4 at THE CJ CUP in South Carolina in October, followed by back-to-back victories this month in Hawaii and California. He also won the Spanish Open and DP World Tour Championship last fall as part of this torrid stretch. Rahm has yet to win a FedExCup, but it's not for a lack of close calls. Three times, he has finished top-five on the TOUR's season-long race, highlighted by a runner-up showing in 2021. Suffice to say, he's quickly becoming a favorite for this year's season-long crown.

LA QUINTA, Calif. — Jon Rahm took advantage of mistakes by rookie Davis Thompson over the adventuresome final three holes and closed with a 4-under 68 to win The American Express by one stroke on Sunday, his second PGA TOUR win in as many starts this year. The Spanish star pumped his right fist and flashed a look of relief after tapping in for a two-putt par on No. 18. They were tied with three holes to play when Thompson, who led through 36 holes and shared the lead with Rahm going into Sunday, pulled his drive into a deep fairway bunker on the par-5 16th and wound up with par. Rahm made birdie to take the lead. On the par-3 17th, Thompson chose to leave the pin in for his 50-foot birdie putt on the island green, and the ball squarely hit the pin and rolled away. The 23-year-old from the University of Georgia dropped his putter and put his hands to his face. As he walked to the 18th tee after tapping in for par, he pulled his shirt up over his mouth in frustration. Rahm hit his tee shot into the bunker on 18 but recovered nicely with a shot to 15 feet and pumped his fist. Thompson’s drive found the fairway but his approach bounced on the green and ran down the slope behind it. The rookie hit a bold flop shop that settled a foot to the right of the hole. He shot 69. Rahm had two putts to finish at 17-under 261 and win for the ninth time on the PGA TOUR. He moves up one spot to No. 3 in the world. He is playing next week at Torrey Pines. Rahm opened with two birdies to take the lead, but Thompson eventually caught up to him when Rahm’s par putt lipped out on No. 13. Rahm got his share of breaks. From the middle of the fairway on the 16th, Rahm had his hands on his hips as he watched his second shot head toward the deep bunker down the left side. It hit in the dormant rough and stayed in the fairway. That left a pitch to just inside 10 feet, and his birdie putt for the lead swirled into the cup. Rahm now has won four of his last six starts — he won the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii to start the year, and he won twice on the DP World Tour at the end of last year. This was his seventh straight top 10 worldwide, a streak that began after the TOUR Championship in late August. Xander Schauffele, two weeks after he withdrew because of back pain, closed with a 62 and finished two behind with Chris Kirk (64). Taylor Montgomery was challenging Rahm and Thompson until he put his tee shot into the water on the 17th. He closed with a 66 and finished fifth. Scottie Scheffler closed with a 67 and tied for 11th. He narrowly missed a birdie putt on the final hole that would have allowed him to return to No. 1 in the world by a fraction of a point over McIlroy.

At this point, whenever Jon Rahm commits to play, just thank BetMGM for extending a market for him to win. It's free money. Just as he prevailed at +600 in his last start at the Sentry Tournament of Champions (albeit with Collin Morikawa's massive assist), the 28-year-old Spaniard converted again for the same kickback at The American Express. That was his line on the eve of the four-round competition across three courses in the Coachella Valley. No, it wasn't a gimme by any means, but the best player in the world - he's not officially No. 1, but that's how he feels about himself, which is all that matters - deflected the randomness of other talent striking irons while they're hot and sinking putts in a shootout. Rahm has proven in his last two starts especially that the only thing of significance is totaling the fewest strokes. He captured victory by one on Sunday at 27-under 261, but score in relation to par is but a statistic. As the first multiple winner of the 2022-23 PGA TOUR season, Rahm vaulted into the top spot of the FedExCup standings - that is official - with another 500 points at the Pete Dye Stadium Course at PGA West. It's his second title in the tournament (2018). Runner-up honors went to Davis Thompson. The pedigreed rookie out of the University of Georgia, who needed just one season apprenticing on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2022, led outright after the first two rounds and co-led (with Rahm) entering the finale. Thompson was on the board at +20000 as an outright at BetMGM as late as Wednesday prior to the tournament. After his performance, don't hold your breath for the next time you'll find him at that value, if ever. Real deal sealed. Xander Schauffele (+2200) and Chris Kirk (+8000) shared third place. Schauffele closed with a field-low-tying 62, including an albatross; Kirk came home in 64.