Friday 8 November 2013. The Spanish Jon Rahm he was preparing for his 19th birthday. He was part of the legion of immigrants that has always populated the universities of the United States. He got the state of Arizona. There golf took him. Between study and training, the days started before 6 and ended late. That pleasant autumn night, he allowed himself a habitual detour from the routine: Chinese food. Just like in the movies, you will receive a fortune cookie with your order. An omen came from his bowels: Rahm will win the Augusta Masters. The message went viral a decade later, this Sunday April 9, 2023: a decade later, the premonition came true and he wore the green jacket. As did his master and that of many others 40 years ago, Severiano Ballesterosthe legend of Spanish golf who died in 2011. A glory whose memory flew over the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia this weekend.
“Your talents will be recognized and properly rewarded”were the words Rahm found inside the cookie, just a week after finishing second in another contest (“It’s time to work hard, there’s nothing I hate so much”). Omens can be deceptive and treacherous at times, but there was no doubt for him. “I will win the Masters,” he wrote on his Twitter account. Journalists, major auto brands, anonymous users – all relaunched the publication and gave it circulation it didn’t get on the day of its original publication. At that point Jon was an anonymous student in the United States. Only he imagined he could reach it.
“Rest in Peace Seve”, Rahm celebrated, this Sunday at the awards ceremony. In summoning Ballesteros, the world No. 1 was again close to losing his temper, just like in the shot that defined his luck at the 18th hole. He started four shots from the leaders. He finished four in front of his guards, the menacing ones koepka stream and the old acquaintance Phil Mickelson. It was a marathon day, in which time had to be made up with an extended course after the suspension of activity on Friday due to a flood that knocked down three trees. In many it has sown panic; for him it was another warning sign. “I know Seve was supporting me”, he expressed this Sunday, the very day his teacher would have turned 66. The day she crowned her trip to the green cloth.
Jon Rahm, behind the specter of Severiano
Both samples were not contemporary. Rahm had just started walking in Barrika, a small village in northern Spain when in Cadiz, in the far south, the master gave one of his last lessons.. It happened in the 1997 Ryder Cup, in which the winner of three British Opens and two Augusta Masters captained the European team to beat the United States by one point, which featured the debut of Tiger Woods. When Severiano retired, unambitious in 2007, the boy was starting to train with his first private teacher. AND The pioneer’s death found the young man in his prime.a, looking for a place in the US university system to foster their sporting development.
Even, Ballesteros served as spiritual guide. Without him, Rahm would never have made it to golf. It was after that feat in Valderrama that Edorta Rahm – prompted by friends who had traveled across the country to follow Seve’s last dance live – joined a club in Barrika, just 60 kilometers from Ballesteros’ native Pedreña. Up until that day, the family had never been near sticks. Thanks to the five-time Major champion, her son also fell under the spell of the greens. “My father and I always talk about it. If it weren’t for the Ryder Cup, I don’t know where I would be or what my family would be like.”he ventured after his first win at Georgia.
Severiano left behind 90 victories and a national goal: he was the first from his country to reach the top of the world rankings, where he remained for 61 weeks. Until 2020 he was also the only one. In 1999 he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame and announced his retirement in 2007 after 33 seasons as a pro. Four years later, at age 54, he died of brain cancer. Among others, they fired him Rafael Nadal, Fernando Alonso and Pau Gasolprotagonists of a golden era of Spanish sport.
“For me, winning the title on the 40th anniversary (of Ballesteros’ last win in Augusta), on Easter Sunday, is incredibly significant.”He held after the consecration in his second major tournament (he had already won the United States Open in 2021).
Rahm, one of the most promising young men in the country at the time, mourned her passing. Restless, he had tried tennis, canoeing, martial arts. “Name a sport and I’ve most likely tried it. But with golf there was something different”he recalled in April 2020 in a letter he published in The Players Tribune. A natural physical marvel, he stood out in children’s tournaments more for strength than technique. Football was another of the games that Jon cultivated, a passion that also took him to professional golf courses: in 2016 he stamped a Scudetto of the Athletic Club in the bag, but adidas (his sponsor) forced him to take it off because he was wearing it for the Bilbao team Nike (the competition).
His relationship with Phil Mickelson and his embrace with another champion: “It had to be today”
In 2011 Rahm had just established himself nationally in the cadet and junior categories. Although he spoke little English, he knew that in his country the road had already been traveled. The future was in the United States. He received a scholarship to study for four years at the Arizona State University. The one who discovered his scrolls just in time – and had to work against the clock to meet deadlines – is called Tim. is the brother of Phil Mickelson (52 years old), winner of six Majors: 3 Augusta Masters (in 2004, 2006 and 2010), 2 PGA Championships (in 2005 and 2021) and a British Open (in 2013).
In 2012, Rahm joined the Sun Devil sports team, which has several notable players in its history: Reggie Jackson in baseball, James Harden in men’s basketball, and Briann January in women’s basketball. Between his rookie year and his senior days, Rahm won 11 tournaments. Though he didn’t quite make it to Mickelson’s 16 years, he was noticed: He was honored with the Ben Hogan Award in 2015 and 2016, the accolade for the most outstanding college golfer of the season.
Joining them this weekend is a milestone to demand from the competitive American university system: the champion and the Masters guard were from the same institution (The only precedent was that of Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf, of Ohio State in 1975). Between them, however, there has been a strong feud in the recent past.
In June 2022, Mickelson inaugurated the LIV Golf Invitational Series, a super league promoted by Saudi Arabian authorities and with a prize pool of $255 million. The circuit, a parallel test to the PGA, split the tour waters. Mickelson called before “scary sons of bitches” to the organizers and then stepped back to deliver the opening blow. Rahm, as Tiger Woods, stood his ground: “I’m not doing it for the money.”
Less than a year later, glory dressed him in green. After puttingt on the last hole, he threw up his arms and held his head. He received greetings from his children kepa (2 years) e eneko (7 months) and kissed his wife Kelley Cahillformer Arizona State University athlete with whom he had already confirmed the marriage in the middle of the United States Open in 2018. After his father’s recognition, he embraced compatriot José María Olazábal.
“It had to be today, it had to be today”, They repeated with the winner of the 1994 and 1999 editions. Both make up the quartet of the Spanish champions. Sergio García, crowned in 2017, didn’t make the cut this time around. Behind them remains the indelible memory of Severiano, who this Sunday – the day he would have turned 66 – was once again present in Augusta
Source: Clarin
Jason Root is the go-to source for sports coverage at News Rebeat. With a passion for athletics and an in-depth knowledge of the latest sports trends, Jason provides comprehensive and engaging analysis of the world of sports.