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Jon Rahm has held off LIV Golf heavyweights Brooks Koepka and ageless marvel Phil Mickelson to post a poignant and popular victory at the 87th Masters.
Rahm overturned a four-shot last-day deficit to reel in Koepka, then resisted an inspired charge from 52-year-old Mickelson to record a not-entirely-comfortable four-stroke triumph at Augusta National.
The Spanish superstar’s success fittingly came on the 40th anniversary of his idol Seve Ballesteros’ second Masters win in 1983 and on what would have been the late Ballesteros’ 66th birthday.
With a final-round 69, Rahm finished with a 72-hole total of 12-under-par 276.
It was the 28-year-old world No.3’s sixth win in his past 13 worldwide starts and a victory of sorts also for the PGA Tour in its ongoing civil war with the Greg Norman-led, Saudi-backed LIV Golf breakaway league.
Jon Rahm of Spain celebrates on the 18th green after winning the 2023 Masters. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Mickelson and Koepka, the joint runners-up, would have given LIV its first major championship had they won.
Instead, Rahm earned his second after adding the green jacket to his 2021 US Open trophy.
But a shocking four-putt double-bogey six cruelled Jason Day’s hopes of a guaranteed return to next year’s Masters on a horror final day for Australia’s golf stars at Augusta National.
Day had been hanging tough on Sunday in his bid for a top-12 finish, which would punch a ticket back in 2024, before disaster struck on the par-5 ninth hole.
He stroked a brilliant, curling first putt for birdie from 44 feet to three feet, only to push his attempt for par past the hole, and then also miss his try at bogey.
From a tie for 18th, Day suddenly slumped down the leaderboard to a share of 20th at one under entering the back nine of his final round.
Jason Day plays his shot from the 12th tee at Augusta National. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Reigning British Open champion Cameron Smith and 2013 winner Adam Scott fared no better. After continuing his third round on the 14th hole at one under, Smith immediately fell back to even par with a bogey after missing the green and failing to get up and down.
He did well to avoid dropping another shot on the 15th after hitting into the water with his all-or-nothing attempt to find the green for two and land an eagle.
But he dropped another shot on the last to post a three-over 75 and enter the final round a dozen strokes behind Koepka. Smith was unable to make any headway in the delayed final round and was two over for the championship through 13 holes and 13 adrift of Rahm.
Completing his third round alongside Smith, Scott went further backwards after a calamitous 15th hole.
He dunked two balls in Rae’s Creek en route to a triple-bogey eight, signed for a 77 and started the final round 14 shots off the pace.
Day slipped to six over and was 16 shots off the pace through 16 holes of his final round. Scott finished at five over with Day in a tie for 39th after weekend rounds of 74 and 77.
In a typically riveting finish to the year’s first major, Mickelson closed with a rousing seven-under 65 to snatch the clubhouse lead and apply the blow torch to the final pairing.
Mickelson reeled off eight birdies, including five in his last seven holes, to threaten one of the great steals in golf.
But the three-time champion had to settle for a second runner-up showing at Augusta – and an incredible 10th top-three finish overall.
But while Rahm held firm in the face of Michelson’s fierce challenge, Koepka, who faded with a final-round 75, was unable to respond.
Koepka had seemingly been on track to become LIV Golf’s first major winner after surging four shots clear before Saturday’s third round was suspended because of relentless rain.
But he couldn’t buy a birdie upon Sunday’s resumption of play.
Koepka went 22 consecutive holes without a birdie before finally landing three in four holes from the 13th to 16th.
But it was too little too late as Koepka came up short in his quest for a fifth career major – four years and knee surgery after his fourth.
The 32-year-old had to settle for a share of second with a disappointing last-round 75.
As well as Mickelson, a host of heavyweights made final-round charges.
Jordan Spieth, the 2015 champion, got to eight under only to drop a shot on the last to miss his chance at joining Mickelson as clubhouse leader.
Augusta native Patrick Reed, the 2018 winner, finished equal fourth with Spieth at seven under following a stirring Sunday 68.
After starting the final round nine shots off the pace, world No.1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler moved to six under through 11 holes before a double-bogey five on the famous 12th ended his challenge.
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Scheffler eventually finished tied for 10th at four under.