John Rahm secured his first victory since last year’s Masters on the final hole of the LIV Golf UK event at JCB Golf and Country Club in Staffordshire.
The Spaniard was tied at 13 under par with his Legion XIII teammate Tyrrell Hatton heading into the 18th hole, but Hatton’s three-putt bogey allowed Rahm to clinch the title after he made par.
Overnight leader Andy Ogletree seemed poised for victory after making birdies on the first two holes, but back-to-back double bogeys on the back nine dashed his hopes.
Hatton’s disappointing end resulted in him finishing tied for second with Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann, who both birdied their final holes to finish one stroke behind Rahm at 12 under par.
Rahm has consistently placed in the top 10 of every LIV tournament he has participated in since the league’s inception, but had to withdraw from last month’s Houston event due to a toe injury, which also sidelined him from the US Open.
The 29-year-old mentioned that this win would fulfill his son’s wish of bringing home a trophy.
“First and foremost, I have to give a lot of credit to Tyrrell; he’s an excellent player and it’s unfortunate to see it end this way,” Rahm stated.
“I somewhat wish we could have settled it with a playoff.
“It’s just emotional, you know. This year hasn’t been the easiest for our family. Kelly [his wife] and I have faced quite a bit, and she has endured even more, having been on bed rest and dealing with various challenges.
“She mentioned that our son Kepa asked me to bring home a trophy during this golf stretch, and at one point today I started to believe it would happen—not in the last 20 minutes, but at least I can bring one home for them.
“Getting over the hump feels incredible, and I’m just relieved it happened.”
