MADRID, 20 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Spanish golfer Jon Rahm suffered a fateful Sunday at the US Open to finish twelfth when he started the last day one shot off the lead at The Country Club, where he conquered his first ‘major’ Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick in a nice outcome.
Rahm was on a promising path to defending the US Open that he won last year. The Basque, who became the leader in the penultimate hole on Saturday, failed in the final assault, far from his second ‘Grand Slam’ and the tenth for Spain.
Nothing came out of Barrika’s, especially the shots at the flag. The wind didn’t want to be a part of Sunday’s mythical course in Brookline, Massachusetts, the rain the night before left it receptive, but as a fan told him on the 10th hole, after missing a two-meter putt: “Today It’s not your day, Jon.”
Rahm held back his rage as best he could, but nothing really came out of the world number two. The first 9 he closed with two ‘bogeys’, and with another 10 he saw himself six from the lead. A single birdie on the 11th didn’t change the picture for Rahm who finished +4 on the day, +1 overall, seven shots behind champion Fitzpatrick.
The fight from above was started and ended by the English and the American Will Zalatoris. In the second round it was already a matter of the stellar match, both pressured by the number one in the world, the American Scottie Scheffler. On the 11th hole, a Zalatoris with his first ‘big’ between eyebrows despite playing only his ninth tournament took advantage by birdieing and with the ‘bogey’ of the Englishman.
The tables turned on the 15th hole, from a tie at minus five to two for Fitzpatrick with three holes to play. Zalatoris cut back with a birdie in the 16th and in the 18th he was one centimeter away from forcing the tiebreaker, the script of the US Open to decide champion in the three previous editions held in Boston.
The pulse was won by Fitzpatrick to achieve his first ‘Grand Slam’ on the same stage where he won the amateur US Open in 2013. Scheffler was one hit away, like Zalatoris. Behind, the Japanese Hideki Matsuyama, the American Collin Morikawa and the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy showed that the field was ready to make good laps, although their comebacks were not enough.