Jon Rahm is the Masters Champion and back at No. 1 in the world. His victory on Sunday was due to an extraordinary all-round play that excels in almost every department, even if he is not the star in any area.
His genius is strongly rooted in the sum of its parts.
The result is a phenomenal career since the Spaniard, who was born with a clubbed foot, turned pro in 2016.
He was world No. 1 as an amateur and is now a two-time main champion with barely credible stats. He has finished in the top 10 in more than half of his global starts as a pro (85 of 157) with more wins (20) than missed cuts (14).
Here we look at the composition of the 28-year-old’s stunning game.
Jon Rahm celebrates his first Masters triumph with wife Kelly in Augusta on Sunday
Rahm, holding his son Kepa here in Augusta, has an extraordinary all-round game
Swing and style 9/10
Rahm doesn’t have the aesthetics of a Rory McIlroy swing or the technical perfection of Adam Scott.
In fact, his swing is one of the most idiosyncratic on the tour, characterized by the short takeaway and signature curved left wrist at the top. Nevertheless, it has been proven to be one of the most repeatable in golf and the fact that he has never attempted a rebuild speaks volumes.
n Best in class: Rory McIlroy
Mentality 9/10
It takes something special to chase a leader like Brooks Koepka and even more so to pull away.
Golf is brutal on the mind, but Rahm rarely seemed vulnerable when the stakes were high and his final round of 69 at Augusta showed that once again.
Recovering from a four-putt double bogey on the first hole of the tournament took a lot of character and getting through Amen Corner without dropping a shot on Sunday. His discipline could be mistaken for a lack of adventure, but it’s a plus during clutch moments.
n Best in class: Tiger Woods
Driver 9/10
This is the greatest technical strength of Rahm’s game. He ranks sixth on the PGA Tour for distance this season with an average of 314 yards, 12 yards behind McIlroy, and ranks 116th for accuracy at 57 percent, albeit without the same vulnerability to a big miss as, say, Jordan Spieth. The stat combining the two, “total riding,” sees Rahm 15th, with McIlroy in 70th, though it can be misleading in an age when length matters, as long as the outcome isn’t too wild. For accuracy, it’s notable that Rahm only missed eight fairways all week in Augusta.
n Best in class: Rory McIlroy
Approach game and ball hitting 9/10
This is a big factor in who wins at the Masters and Rahm has nailed it. The quality of his ball stroke was such that he was in the top four in the field for driving accuracy and greens in regulation – hitting 72 percent of the greens in regulation.
The last two Masters winners to score that high in both categories were Jack Nicklaus in 1986 and Ben Crenshaw in 1995.
n Best in class: Scottie Scheffler
Putting and around the green 8/10
Typically this has not been Rahm’s strength. Last season, he finished 139th in scrambling, 180th in sand saves and 143rd in hitting around the green.
In 2023 he has improved dramatically and is in the top 20 in scrambling and around the green and in the top 50 for sand rescues. He doesn’t have the finesse and style of Seve Ballesteros, but he has become dangerously efficient. Putting was once a challenge too – hovering around 40th in overall putting stats for the past two seasons. He finished in 18th place at Augusta, no doubt held back by that first four-putt.
n Best in class: Cameron Smith
The Spaniard (above) became the first European to win the Masters in six years
Limits
One of Rahm’s limitations has also been his strength. He revealed a few years ago that he was born with a clubbed right foot, which in turn has conditioned that shorter, more consistent swing.
His description is fascinating: ‘My foot (at birth) was turned 90 degrees inwards and basically upside down. When I was born they broke pretty much every bone in the ankle and I was cast from the knee down within 20 minutes of birth. Every week I had to go back to the hospital for a rescheduling. So from the knee down my leg didn’t grow at the same rate and I have very limited ankle mobility in my right leg.
He’s also an inch and a half shorter. I don’t hit full because my right ankle doesn’t have the mobility or stability for that.’