Trading Maroon and Gold for the Green Jacket
Jon Rahm has earned himself the title of champion at the 87th Masters Tournament after shooting 12-under par, winning by four strokes. His scorecard read 65-69-73-69=276/12 over four rounds – his second major championship and return to World No. 1 status with this triumph.
Arizona State’s 2016 Bachelor of Arts in Communications is the first Sun Devil since Phil Mickelson in 2010 – and just the second man ever to do so in program history.
Sun Devil Jon Rahm Wins the 87th
Lowest Masters round ever by a player over 50 ✅
Lowest final round of his Masters career ✅
Proud Sun Devil ✅
Have a day, @PhilMickelson #ForksUp /// 🔱😈⛳️
— Sun Devil Men's Golf (@sundevilmgolf) April 9, 2023
Rahm was an impressive 11-tournament winner as a Sun Devil and boasted the third lowest scoring average in college golf history during his junior year. He earned both 2015 and 2016 Ben Hogan Awards as the best college golfer in America, as well as being named two-time first team All-American while wearing Maroon and Gold.
Arizona State’s Ricky Nelson has now achieved 11 professional tournament victories and two majors – The 2021 US Open – to give them the second-most professional tournament wins behind Phil Mickelson’s 42 triumphs.
Three-time Masters champion Mickelson finished tied for second on Sunday after firing a 7-under 65, his lowest final round score ever. At 52 years old, he is the oldest man ever to finish in the top five at Augusta National with his 71-69-75-65=280/-8 card.
Two strokes in front. Just outrageous #themasters#ForksUp /// 🔱😈⛳️
— Sun Devil Men's Golf (@sundevilmgolf) April 9, 2023
Arizona State is the second university ever to produce both a winner and runner-up in the same Masters Tournament, joining Ohio State with Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf in 1975. ASU is now one of four schools to boast multiple Masters Winners, joining Texas, Houston and Stanford.
Weather issues impacted scheduling throughout the weekend at Augusta National, with main contenders finishing their third rounds on Sunday morning. Rahm entered the final day four strokes behind Brooks Koepka and finished at 9-under par – two strokes back through 54 holes.
Rahm birdied the par-4 fourth hole to move to 10-under par for the tournament. Koepka bogeyed that hole and tied them at 10-under par. On six, Rahm saved par with a great putt while Koepka also bogeyed, propelling him into the lead by one stroke.
Rahm’s momentum continued to build at the par-5 eighth hole. After three strokes, he hit an exquisite wedge shot for a tap-in birdie that took him to 11-under for the event and two strokes ahead of Koe. With that victory, Rahm now leads by two strokes going into Sunday’s final round at 18 holes.
