Jon Rahm pulled out of a four-way tie with a 12-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole and then held on with pars for a 2-under 69 and a one-shot victory Sunday in the Mexico Open.
Rahm won for the first time since the U.S. Open last summer at Torrey Pines, and the relief showed in the smile and the way he pumped his arm and then pounded down his fist after tapping in for par on the 18th at Vidanta Vallarta.
Tony Finau and Brandon Wu each closed with a 63, while Kurt Kitayama birdied the final hole from a back bunker for a 68. They tied for second.
Rahm at No. 2 in the world was a heavy favorite and he played that way from his opening 64. He just didn’t feel any expectations. With the win, he moves to sixth in the FedExCup standings.
“I like to think every time I tee it up I’m a favorite. I play to win,” Rahm said. “Fortunately, I got my seventh PGA TOUR win. It was a pretty stressful weekend, all the way to the end.”
Rahm has 14 victories worldwide. He had gone 17 starts without winning, matching the longest such in his career.
The Spaniard has at least one victory in six full years as a pro.
Source: PGA TOUR
