By Paul Myers
When he turned professional, big things were expected of Jon Rahm. Once one of the best amateur players in the world, Rahm is represented by Phil Mickelson’s brother, Tim, who left his post as the coach of Arizona State University to serve as Rahm’s agent. Less than a year after Rahm decided to turn professional, he has already had his first big moment – a win in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. This win over a strong field immediately puts Rahm into the spotlight in the world of golf, and adds his name to a long list of young stars such as Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, and more.
Winning in Style
It is never easy to win for the first time on the PGA Tour, but it certainly isn’t easy on a difficult golf course like Torrey Pines. With three of the four rounds contested over the notoriously demanding South Course, anyone winning at Torrey Pines will certainly have earned it. To finish off his win in style, Rahm knocked in a putt from just off the back edge of the 18th green for a closing eagle on Sunday afternoon. The putt came from more than 60 feet from the hole, and it was a dramatic finish to what was a very competitive final round. Rahm won by three in the end, with his two back-nine eagles to thank for the margin of victory.
Mixed Bag for Big Names
While it was Jon Rahm who walked away with the title, a number of other players posted strong finishes in this early season event. Charles Howell III finished in a tie for second, Justin Rose and Keegan Bradley were among those tied for fourth, Phil Mickelson wound up T14, and Hideki Matsuyama was T33. On the other side of the coin, there were a number of big-name players who missed the cut at Torrey Pines. Leading the way in that category was Tiger Woods, who was joined in taking the weekend off by playing partners Dustin Johnson and Jason Day. Reigning PGA Champion Jimmy Walker missed the cut as well, as did Padraig Harrington.
Waste Management Open
With the completion of the Farmers Insurance Open outside San Diego, the Tour moves east to Arizona for the always-popular Waste Management Open. This tournament, played at TPC Scottsdale, is famous for the raucous stadium atmosphere that it creates on the par-3 16th hole. Plenty of the top players in the world are going to be competing in the Phoenix area, including Mickelson, Spieth, Matsuyama, Thomas, and more.