eBusiness Weekly
Jon Rahm reclaimed his place as world number one with victory at the Genesis Invitational in California.
The Spaniard carded a two-under 69 in his final round on Sunday to finish 17 under and beat American Max Homa by two strokes to win his 10th PGA Tour title.
The win takes Rahm above American Scottie Scheffler, who was nine shots adrift, at the top of the rankings.
It is the 28-year-old’s third PGA Tour victory of 2023 and his fifth win in his past nine worldwide starts.
Rahm now has one more PGA Tour win than compatriot and idol Seve Ballesteros.
“That was a tough week and a tough Sunday,” Rahm told CBS.
“Beating Seve, I know he didn’t play full time on the PGA Tour and I know five of those wins are majors, but still, to reach that milestone of double digit wins is pretty incredible.
“And to do it at a golf course with this legacy, this history and hosted by the man himself, Tiger Woods, it’s a true honour.”
Rahm, who was last ranked at number one in March 2022, held a three-shot lead going into the final round at the Riviera Country Club, but trailed Homa with six holes remaining.
However, two birdies on the par threes at 14 and 16 moved the Spaniard ahead and pars on the final two holes secured the win.
Scheffler loses his place as world number one only a week after winning the Phoenix Open to replace Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 29th after a closing 71 on Sunday.
“Progress” for Woods on comeback
Woods ended his first tournament in seven months with a final-round 73 to finish on one under for the tournament.
“It’s progress, but I didn’t win,” said the 15-time major champion, who badly injured his right leg and foot in a car accident two days after this tournament in 2021.
Those injuries still hinder the 47-year-old, who said his comeback “certainly was a little bit more difficult than I probably let on”.
Woods explained: “My team has been fantastic in getting my body recovered day to day and getting me ready to play each and every day.
“That’s the hard part that I can’t simulate at home. Even if I played four days at home, it’s not the same as adrenaline, it’s not the same as the system being ramped up like that, the intensity, just the focus that it takes to play at this level.”
Woods said that his aim at this stage of his career — with walking a course for four days difficult because of his ankle injury — was to play the four major championships and “a couple” of other events.
The first major of 2023 is the Masters in April at Augusta National — a tournament Woods has won five times.
Genesis Invitational final leaderboard
-17 J Rahm (Spa); -15 M Homa (US); -14 P Cantlay (US); -13 W Zalatoris (US); -11 S Theegala (US), C Morikawa (US), K Mitchell (US)
Selected others: -8 S Scheffler (US); -7 S Lowry (Ire); -6 D Willett (Eng); -5 J Thomas (US); T Fleetwood (Eng); -4 R McIlroy (NI); -1 T Woods (US) — BBCSport
