Jon Rahm Returns To No. 1 After A 'very Amazing' Victory
Jon Rahm regained his world No. 1 ranking on Sunday, winning the Genesis Invitational with a performance that left no debate about who is playing the greatest golf. At Riviera, Rahm provided two major moments, first with a 45-foot birdie putt from the edge on the par-3 14th and then with a tee shot to 2 feet for birdie on the par-3 16th.
He finished with a 2-under 69 to beat Homa by two shots.
"Very amazing," Rahm added. "Winning at a golf course with this legacy, this history, and being hosted by Tiger Woods is an honour."
Rahm will be at No. 1 for the 44th time this week, tying Nick Price for 11th all-time. Only Woods (683), Rory McIlroy (122), and Jason Day (51) have spent more weeks atop the PGA Tour rankings.
"A rating doesn't legitimise anything," Rahm added. "I'm having the best season of my life, and I'm hoping to keep it up."
Patrick Cantlay came within one stroke on the back nine before making two bogeys. He shot a 67 to finish third alone, pushing him up to fourth in the world.
Woods scored 73 to tie for 45th after four bogeys in an eight-hole run.
"Unfortunately, my streak continues," Woods remarked with a smile, referring to his 12 professional visits at Riviera without a win.
His achievement was judged in terms of advancement. That was Woods' first 72-hole round since the Masters in April; he has only played twice since then due to leg and back issues that will limit his PGA Tour appearances. He wasn't sure if he'd play again before the Masters.
But the focus quickly shifted to a fantastic fight between Rahm and Homa, both of whom had two PGA Tour titles this season.
Rahm now has five wins in his previous nine starts since winning the Spanish Open. In his last ten tournaments, he has never finished outside the top ten. That was his third PGA Tour victory in five starts this year, and he has now earned more over $9 million in the last two months.
This wasn't as simple as it appeared at the end.
"That was a difficult week and a difficult Sunday," Rahm added.
Homa, who won at Riviera two years ago, was three strokes down in the last round. He swiftly closed to within one shot of the Spaniard, only for the Spaniard to come within inches of holing out from the fairway at No. 8 for a tap-in birdie, while Homa made bogey from behind the green to fall three shots back.
Then everything changed in an instant.
After birdieing the ninth from 15 feet, Homa drove to the far edge of the 10th green and holed out in two. Rahm turned sharply left. His pitch was short and rolled behind a bunker down the back of the green. He pitched into the green and then over it into another bunker, forcing him to make a 6-footer for bogey.
Homa seized the lead for the first time two holes later when Rahm three-putted for par, only to lose it back with a bogey from a terrible tee shot.
Rahm won it with his putter and full swing on the par 3s. He finished at 17-under 267 and earned $3.6 million from the $20 million purse, the PGA Tour's second consecutive enhanced tournament.
"I wanted to shove him." "He is a phenomenal golfer," said Homa, who became emotional twice when speaking to the media about how important his hometown event is to him. "I've known him since college, and he's always been like this: world's best amateur, world's best player, all the awards." "I intended to make him beat me, and I believe I succeeded."
Rahm has won about $9.4 million on the PGA Tour in the last two months, including victories at Kapalua, the California desert, and the historic Riviera course off famed Sunset Boulevard. In his previous two starts this year, he finished third in Phoenix and tied for seventh at Torrey Pines.
This is Rahm's seventh time as world number one, and the rate he's playing, he looks like he'll be there for a while.
McIlroy, who started the year at No. 1 and won his first European Tour event in Dubai, was absent for the second week in a row. McIlroy finished 29th with a 73-71 weekend.
