The Masters 2023 LIVE: Leaderboard and reaction as Jon Rahm wins first green jacket
Rahm outduelled Brooks Koepka and honoured the late Seve Ballesteros to triumph in style at Augusta
Jon Rahm produced a nerveless Sunday performance to claim his first Masters green jacket in dominant but emotional style at Augusta National, in the perfect tribute to the late Seve Ballesteros.
Forty years after golfing icon Ballesteros claimed his second green jacket, and on what would have been his 66th birthday, Rahm became the fourth Spanish winner after Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia.
“This one is for Seve,” Rahm said after winning his second major crown. “I knew he would be up there helping and help he did.”
The fourth and final round of a wild week at Augusta looked set to be a shootout between Rahm and four-time major winner Brooks Koepka.
But as the American faded in the fourth round, his Spanish foe relentlessly marched on, adding to his 2021 US Open crown by carding a 69 to end on 12-under. Rahm secured a four-shot triumph over Koepka and a rejuvenated Phil Mickelson, who shot a magical Sunday 65 at the age of 52 to end in a tie for second at eight-under.
Follow the reaction to the final round below:
Rahm and Koepka finish round three
Koepka -11 (73), Rahm -9 (73), Bennett -4 (76)
Rahm goes first out of the rough. He nurses it down to the hole but it remains above the par and he’s got an awkward downhill putt left for his par...but no bother he makes it.
Koepka leaves himself a bit of work to do after his first putt but makes the par. Bennett does the same.
And with that, round three draws to a close. Rahm and Koepka will contend the final pairing with the American ahead by two. Don’t go anywhere...
Work to do for Rahm
Koepka -11 (17), Rahm -9 (17), Bennett -4 (17)
Rahm takes a four iron into this stiff breeze. His ball flies over the green and ends up in a very similar spot to Morikawa’s just a moment ago. That’s a tricky spot but he’ll need to get down in two from there to remain in the final pairing.
Koepka and Bennett are safely aboard the green but have only long-range efforts for birdie.
Hovland in the mix
Hovland -8 (70), Morikawa -4 (74), Day -3 (74)
Up ahead on the green and Hovland has a birdie effort from across with green...which just misses on the right side - that looked in all the way. He knocks it in and makes par for a great round of 70 and he is right in this contest.
Morikawa is in the rough beyond the green after his second but nurses down a beautiful putt through the first cut to leave himself a simple par putt. Day also makes par and those two sign off for rounds of 74.
Underway at the last
Koepka -11 (17), Rahm -9 (17), Bennett -4 (17)
We arrive at the last hole of this third round and all three send their drives down the middle and find the fairway. Rahm will need to make par to ensure that he is in the final round-four pairing this afternoon.
Round of the day by Im
Im -2 (67)
Sung-jae Im barely made the cut with a par save on the 18th yesterday but he’s made the most of this third round to rocket up into a tie for 15th. He nurses down a tricky birdie effort on his last hole and taps in for par. Five under par and a very solid round.
Three-putt bogey for Koepka
Koepka -11 (17), Rahm -9 (17), Bennett -4 (17)
Well, it may not be conducive to birdies but it certainly is to bogeys. Brooks makes a meal of it on the green and his par putt effort lips out on the right-hand side. That’s his first three-putt of the week
Rahm sees his birdie drift past but he knocks in for par, as does Bennett. The lead is back to two.
Disappointing round for Spieth
Spieth -1 (76), Burns +1 (78), Young -2 (75)
I fancied one of these three to make a move up the leaderboard and challenge the leader but it hasn’t transpired that way at all. Spieth misses his birdie effort and rounds out his four-over-par round.
Burns finds himself in trouble off the tee and makes a triple bogey on the last. He now finds himself on one over par. Cam Young makes a bogey and he ends on two under.
Safely aboard the 17th green
Koepka -12 (16), Rahm -9 (16), Bennett -4 (16)
The 17th is not a hole particularly conducive to birdies and Koepka and Bennett find solid positions on the green with their irons in. Rahm flies one a bit closer and he’ll have the best look for birdie on the penultimate hole of this third round.
Great par save by Hovland
Hovland -8 (17)
Many, myself included, thought this was going to be a two-horse race today. Well, enter Viktor Hovland. Five birdies in a row on the back nine has seen him rise to eight under. A poor iron into the 17th green leaves him with work to do but he sinks a 14 feet putt to save his par and he is now just one back from Rahm with the Spaniard’s drop shot on 16.
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