Sunday Swing | Rahm Wins The Masters For Second Major Title

Welcome back to another edition of the Sunday Swing presented by 2nd Swing Golf. This week in the world of professional golf, the spotlight was on Augusta and a tradition unlike any other, The Masters. 

The Masters - Tournament History

Every year on the second weekend in April, the best players in the world gather at the most famous golf course in the game – Augusta National. It’s where they compete for tradition, legacy, and of course, a green jacket. Throughout the years, Augusta has seen some of the games greatest triumphs and biggest heartbreaks. Jack Nicklaus holds the all time record of wins at the Masters with six green jackets. Tiger Woods earned his fifth green jacket in 2019 and he sits alone behind only Nicklaus. This year, Woods added to the long list of records he holds by making a 23rd consecutive cut at The Masters. 

Additional storylines were baked into the atmosphere as the best golfers from both the PGA Tour and the LIV Tour competed against one another for the first time since last summer. The result was a superb leaderboard that produced a worthy champion.

The Big Swing 

This week the Big Swing goes to the 2023 Masters champion Jon Rahm. The Spaniard started in just about the worst fashion possible, four-putting the first green to make a double bogey and immediately jump to two-over-par for the tournament. But he played the next 17 holes in -9 to shoot a first-round 65, and the rest is history. Not only is this Rahm’s first green jacket, – but it’s also his second major win and his fourth win of the 2023 calendar year. Due to inclement weather that delayed play multiple times, Rahm was forced to battle with four-time major champion Brooks Koepka for 30 holes on Sunday to complete the third round and play the final round – and Rahm began the day trailing by four shots. However, that deficit was quickly trimmed in half early Sunday morning when Rahm sank a birdie putt and Koepka made bogey to open the day. Throughout the remaining 29 holes of play, it was all Rahm.

The deficit was two strokes entering the final round, but Rahm quickly made that up thanks to a 35 on the front nine to Koepka’s 39. Then, birdies on holes 13 and 14 provided the necessary cushion to allow Rahm to play the final couple of holes with one arm already in the green jacket.

Meanwhile, up ahead of the leaders, past Masters champions Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth were lighting up the leaderboard. The pair combined for 17 birdies in the final round – the 52-year-old Mickelson posting 65 and Spieth posting 66. For Mickelson, the stunning performance vaulted him to a tie for second with Koepka –  and the lefty became the oldest player ever to finish inside the top five at The Masters. Spieth’s marvelous final round lifted him into a tie for fourth with Patrick Reed and Russell Henley.

Also of note, U.S. Amateur champion Sam Bennett became a fan favorite after opening with back-to-back rounds of 68 that put him firmly in the mix entering the weekend. Despite a 76 and 74 to close, Bennett still recorded one of the best finishes by an amateur in recent memory (T16).

Winner’s Bag - Jon Rahm 

Jon Rahm entered the week at Augusta as one of the favorites – three wins already in the 2023 calendar year will do that. The Spaniard increased that total to four with a win at Augusta in convincing fashion. Rahm faced a two-shot deficit to Brooks Koepka entering the final round, but a 69 to Koepka’s 75 gave Rahm the runaway victory and a second major victory. A Callaway tour staff member, Rahm still games the same familiar setup that has provided so much success in 2023: a Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond driver (10.5 degrees), Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond fairway woods (16 degrees and 18 degrees), Callaway Apex TCB irons (4-PW), Callaway Jaws Raw wedges (52, 56, and 60 degrees) and an Odyssey White Hot OG Rossie S putter.