After severe winds — that blew down three trees — and torrential rains suspended play on Friday and Saturday, it appeared the Masters might not finish in time to crown a champion by Sunday evening.
But Jon Rahm overcame the elements and won his first green jacket with a score of 12-under par — elevating his case to be called the best player in the world.
The 28-year-old hung around leader Brooks Koepka through the first three days, then took advantage of Koepka’s weak Sunday to take home his second career major championship after his win at the 2021 U.S. Open.
Scottie Scheffler — whom Rahm had been exchanging OWGR No. 1 rankings with — finished tied 10th at 4-under.
Rahm takes home a Masters-record $3.24 million for the win — a $630,000 increase from 2022 when Scheffler won. The record 2023 purse of $18 million is a $3 million jump from 2022.
It brings Rahm’s on-course earnings to $13.29 million for the 2023 season — pulling him ahead of Scheffler ($12.12M) on the money list.
A Lot to LIV For
Although Koepka collapsed down the stretch, he and Phil Mickelson — who tied with Koepka for second place — provided a respectable showing for LIV Golf.
The pair will each take home $1.59 million (the average of the second- and third-place winnings) for their efforts — a far cry from the $4 million Koepka earned by winning at LIV’s most recent event in Orlando.
At 52, Mickelson became the oldest player in Masters history to have a top-five finish, and his final-round 65 was the lowest Masters round ever for a player over 50.
