Masters Leaderboard 2023: 3 Instant Reactions to Jon Rahm, Final Scores
Jon Rahm used a final-round comeback to become the fourth Spaniard to win the Masters Tournament.
Rahm outlasted Brooks Koepka thanks to a consistent round of golf Sunday, while Koepka struggled to string together pars.
Rahm's triumph at Augusta National Golf Club was not a surprise given his winning ways on the PGA Tour, but it was a bit surprising considering how he started the tournament. Rahm opened his first round Thursday with a double bogey. He bounced back from that to climb up the leaderboard over the last few days.
The tournament was won on the 13th and 14th holes, where Rahm carded a pair of birdies to move four shots ahead of Phil Mickelson at the time.
Mickelson used his lengthy experience at Augusta to card the lowest score Sunday and land in a tie for second place.
Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed also benefited from the same winning experience at Augusta to card rounds of 70 or lower and finish inside the top 10.
Mickelson and Koepka tied for second. Spieth, Reed and Russell Henley rounded out the top five in a three-way tie for fourth.
The full Masters leaderboard can be found here on the tournament's official website.
Jon Rahm Was Most Consistent Golfer of the Week
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Rahm turned in four consistent rounds to claim his first green jacket.
There was fear that Rahm would struggle after his opening double bogey, but he made that a one-hole exception instead of a result that affected his entire tournament.
Rahm was the only player who produced a first-round score in the 60s to have three rounds in the 60s.
The now-two-time major winner did not make many mistakes Saturday when the conditions were at their worst, and he kept pace behind Koepka during the finish of the third round Sunday morning. He had eight pars and two bogeys over the final 10 holes of the third round.
Rahm recorded a single bogey Sunday at the ninth hole. He had 13 pars and four birdies, including two on the back nine that gave him plenty of separation from the chasing golfers.
Rahm's consistency on the front nine while Koepka struggled was vital to his success Sunday afternoon.
He finished off the victory with his two back-nine birdies as Koepka continued to produce a string of inconsistent holes.
Rahm became the third golfer to win the Masters by four shots despite not leading going into the final round, per ESPN Stats and Info.
Seve Ballesteros was one of the two golfers to previously achieve that feat. Rahm looked up to the fellow Spaniard and won the tournament on his late hero's birthday, as CBS Sports pointed out.
Brooks Koepka's Poor Start Doomed His Title Chances
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Koepka looked untouchable at the top of the leaderboard until Sunday.
The four-time major champion turned in scores of 65 and 67 in the first two rounds to take the lead, and he preserved his spot in first with a third-round 73.
The Koepka from the first three rounds failed to show up Sunday afternoon. He was doomed by three bogeys on the front nine.
Koepka was unable to recover from the poor start, as he bogeyed three more holes on the back nine.
He tried to fight back with three birdies in his final nine holes, but by that point, Rahm was multiple shots in front thanks to his more consistent round.
Koepka can still come away with some positives from his Masters performance because he finished in a tie for second after spending the last year dealing with injuries.
Koepka can carry the positives into the season's next three majors. That form could help him conquer the PGA Championship or U.S. Open for the third time or the British Open for the first time.
If Koepka continues to stay healthy and play at a high level, he should be in the mix in at least one more major, but he will come away from Augusta disappointed because the green jacket was within his reach.
Augusta Experience Aided Sunday's Low Scores
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Three former Masters champions produced three of the six rounds in the 60s on Sunday.
Mickelson turned in the best fourth-round score with a 65 that was 10 strokes better than the third-round 75 he produced between Saturday and Sunday.
Spieth, who played alongside Mickelson, produced a 66 to climb into a tie for fourth. He also improved his score by 10 strokes after a third-round 76 wrecked his chance of catching the leaders.
Reed's 68 placed him inside the top 10. He had four steady rounds and he was the benefactor of some less-than-ideal rounds from other contenders to land in a tie for fourth.
Each of those three golfers were previous champions at Augusta, and they knew exactly how to approach the course in its Sunday setup. The flag locations are typically the same for the final round.
None of the past champions had a chance of chasing down Rahm, but they were able to turn in the best possible finishes to earn more prize money and create some momentum going into the season's three other majors. Next up is the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York, from May 18-21.
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