International Masters 2023: Jon Rahm’s Augusta victory one of best in history of majors

Inspired by his country’s golfing heritage, equipped with power, touch and feel, Spain’s Jon Rahm, the new Masters champion, seems the complete package.

At 28 the burly Basque is halfway to a career Grand Slam and has already achieved arguably the toughest combination of major achievements. He has become the first European to secure victories in both the US Open and at Augusta.

“If there’s anything better than accomplishing something like this, it is making history,” Rahm said. “To be the first European ever to do that is hard to explain.

“Out of all the accomplishments and the many great players that have come before me, to be the first to do something like that, it’s a very humbling feeling.”

Rahm made his major breakthrough two years ago when he thrillingly won America’s national championship by holing a spectacular curling putt across the 18th green at Torrey Pines.

“It is a pretty good duo of majors,” he reflected sitting wearing his new Green Jacket. “The US Open is about as hard a test as you’re Mo Farah finished seventh in 30 minutes and 41 seconds in the Port-Gentil 10km in Gabon, 15 days before the London Marathon.

Four-time Olympic champion Farah, 40, has been training in Ethiopia in preparation for the marathon on 23 April.

He announced in January that he expects 2023 to be his final year of racing before retirement.

Kenya’s Vincent Kipkemoi won in Gabon in ever going to find.”

His celebration then, violently punching the air, was full of competitive passion.

Rahm’s emotions at Augusta on Sunday were equally emotional because he knew that his glorious victory coincided with the 66th anniversary of the birth of the great Severiano Ballesteros.

It was Seve who inspired another two-times winner of the Masters, Jose Maria Olazabal. Then came Sergio Garcia and now Spain has Rahm, who might just turn out to be the best of the lot of them.

It is easy to get carried away with one result when the quality of performance is so high. We can read too much into one week, but we should not ignore what the Masters champion is achieving at the moment.

Like last year’s winner Scottie Scheffler - the man he has deposed from the top of the world rankings - Rahm’s Green Jacket represents a fourth win of the year.

When he is on song he is unbeatable. Europe already know the identity of their talisman and lead personality for September’s Ryder Cup against the United States in Rome.

Last week Rahm gave the field a head start by four putting to double bogey his very first hole. He was on the wrong side of the draw in horrible wet and windy conditions and had to hunt down a rejuvenated golfing assassin in four-times major champion Brooks Koepka. It was one of the great major performances. Rahm won by four strokes, remaining composed as cheers echoed from all parts of the Augusta National on a classic final day.

He hit fairway after fairway until, as he said, finishing with a “Seve style” par at the last after tangling with the trees. He already had one arm in the jacket by that time.

And now we allow ourselves to wonder what comes next. Already we are entitled to consider a career Grand Slam, with the US PGA Championship and The Open the two missing from his resume.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Rahm warned. “I mean, it would be amazing. It would be great. Not many people have been able to do it, and to be able to finish it out and close out and do a Grand Slam would be absolutely amazing.

“I would like to say that I entered the race when I won the US Open, but of course, you’re so far away, you don’t want to think about it. But as players, it’s on your mind.

“It’s something else that would be amazing. But it’s a long road ahead to be able to accomplish that. Something that two players like Phil [Mickelson] and Arnie [Arnold Palmer] weren’t able to do, it speaks a lot.”

It was a vintage Masters, marred only by the appalling pace of play of those in front of the final pair, who play with commendable urgency.

Patrick Cantlay’s nickname Patty Ice should be changed to ‘Glacial’.

Rahm will be favourite for the next major, the PGA at Oak Hill in May, a course in chilly upstate New York that should fit his eye.

It is not an outlandish thought that he could become the first since Jordan Spieth in 2015 to win the first two majors of the year.

And while we are at it, the US Open is in Los Angeles and Rahm loves California tournaments. Getting ahead of ourselves - guilty as charged.

But Rahm’s sustained excellence this year is compelling. At Augusta he hit 86% of fairways, 72% of greens in regulation and dominated the field from tee to green in all weathers.

He overhauled Koepka who flew the flag for the LIV Tour with a brilliant opening 36 holes in which he hit 29 greens in regulation. The American exuded a quiet, almost menacing confidence but wilted on the longest of Sundays. Nevertheless his performance and that of the veteran Mickelson along with Patrick Reed, who tied for fourth place, helped give LIV three of the top six finishing spots.

28 minutes and 11 seconds.

Farah missed the 2022 London Marathon with a hip injury and this year’s event will be his first full marathon since 2019.

It is expected to be the Briton’s final London Marathon appearance and he will be up against four of the five fastest marathon runners in history, including Kenya’s Kenenisa Bekele.

The 2023 London Marathon will be broadcast live on BBC TV, iPlayer and online. (BBC)