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:
Koepka leads by three
Koepka -12 (16), Rahm -9 (16), Bennett -4 (16)
It was about as good a chip as you could expect from Rahm but he can’t make the return putt back up the hill - it’s his second bogey of the back nine and it stretches Koepka’s lead to three after he makes par.
Bennett also makes par with a well-judged two putt from the bottom of the hill.
Rahm in trouble on 16
Koepka -12 (15), Rahm -10 (15), Bennett -4 (15)
Thanks, Lawrence. Well, what a day we have in store. Rahm has worked hard to cut down the lead to just two but we’ve got plenty more action to come.
Up on the 16th, though, and Rahm finds himself in an awful spot. His tee shot leaks out the right and he’s behind the bunker with the green running away from the pin. He does well to keep it on the upper ridge with his chip but he’s got a lot of work to do for his par.
Koepka is in the bunker after his tee shot but it’s a superb effort from the sand - it almost catches the left edge of the hole and he should make par.
Masters 2023: Koepka leads Rahm by two strokes in third round
And with that I will hand you over to Ben Fleming for the rest of this 2023 Masters, with everything well poised. Enjoy.
Masters 2023: Rahm and Koepka make par on 15
Rahm plays one of the longest putts you could face at Augusta today from one corner of the rectangular-ish 15th green to the other, and leaves himself an eight-footer for birdie, which he misses on the low side, and that’s a three-putt par. Koepka has rolled up on to the green and should knock in for par too... he does. On they go.
-12 Koepka (15)
-10 Rahm (15)
-8 Hovland (16)
-6 Cantlay [68]
-5 Henley [71], Matsuyama [70]
Masters 2023: Koepka and Rahm survive hairy moments on 15
A couple of heart-in-mouth moments! Rahm almost finds the water on the par-five 15th with his approach but manages to skip the ball on to the front edge of the green and survives after a bit of a mishit. And Koepka goes even closer! His ball pitches on the green, grips and spins back towards the water, but it clings on to the moisture on the grass and just holds.
Masters 2023: Hovland still in the frame
Viktor Hovland is back playing some excellent golf, as he did on the opening day here, and he birdies 15 to move to eight under par, only four strokes back from our leader, Koepka.
Third round on Sunday in pictures
Some images from this lead group on Easter Sunday at the Masters:
Masters 2023: Koepka in trouble on 15
A rare mistake off the 15th tee by Koepka, who fails to get any fade on his drive and it scuttles into the patrons down the left-hand side. Rahm finds the fairway, as does Bennett.
Masters 2023
The amateur Sam Bennett lips out for a bogey on 14 and slides further down the leaderboard and out of the picture. Rahm and Koepka roll in confident pars.
-12 Koepka (14)
-10 Rahm (14)
-7 Hovland (14)
-6 Cantlay [68]
-5 Henley (16), Matsuyama [70]
Masters 2023: Cantlay gets himself on fringe of contention
Cantlay is in the clubhouse with an impressive 68 – effectively a 66 or 65 in these conditions – and he’ll start the final round later today on six under par. The 2021 champion Matsuyama pars the 18th to finish his round on -5, while Fitzpatrick double bogeys the last to leave himself on -2.
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