'Number 2' Ram "First Season Win in Mexico"..."Did You See the Wire-to-Wire Victory?"

Final Day of Mexico Open: 2-Under Par '1-Stroke Victory', Pina and Woo Rise to Tied 2nd with 8-Under Par, Kang Seonghun Tied 51st

'Number 2' Jon Rahm is cheering while holding the trophy right after winning the Mexico Open. Puerto Vallarta (Mexico) = Getty Images / Multivitz Photo by Multivitz

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] 'Wire-to-wire.'

'Number 2' Jon Rahm (Spain) flew all the way to Mexico to secure his first win of the 2022 season. On the final day of the PGA Tour Mexico Open (total prize money $7.3 million) held at Vidanta Golf Course in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (par 71, 7,456 yards) on the 2nd (Korean time), he added 2-under par to complete a one-stroke victory (17-under par 267). This marks his 7th career win, 11 months after the US Open in June last year, with a winner's prize of $1,314,000 (16.6 billion KRW).

Rahm started with a two-stroke lead, recording three birdies and one bogey. He gained momentum with consecutive birdies on holes 6 and 7 but was checked by a bogey on the notoriously difficult 10th hole (par 4). Meanwhile, Tony Finau and 25-year-old rookie Brandon Wu (both from the USA) surged with 8-under par rounds to join the co-lead. This made the 14th hole (par 5) the decisive point. Although his second shot missed the green, Rahm managed a 3-on and sank a 3.3-meter putt for birdie. Interestingly, birdies were made on this hole throughout the four days. He parred the remaining four holes to hold his lead.

Rahm is the first Spanish player to win the US Open, which he achieved in June last year. The 2021 season saw him finish second twice and third three times, but wins were scarce. The playoff (PO) final third round Tour Championship in September was especially disappointing. Despite shooting the best 14-under par among 30 players, he couldn't overcome the PO-specific 'stroke advantage' hurdle. Starting as the 4th seed (6-under par), he finished at 20-under par total, while Patrick Cantlay (USA), the 1st seed (10-under par), added 11-under par to claim a one-stroke victory (21-under par).

This year, Rahm also faced setbacks, finishing runner-up at the Sentry Tournament in January and third at the Farmers Insurance Open, while Scottie Scheffler (USA) swept four wins including the Masters, taking over the world No. 1 ranking. With this first win and additional points, Rahm has regained momentum to compete again for the 'No. 1' spot. Moreover, he demonstrated exceptional power by shooting 7-under par from the first day and immediately taking the top of the leaderboard in this tournament.

Finau and Wu, who each recorded one eagle and six birdies, tied for 2nd place (16-under par 268), while Cameron Champ (USA) tied for 6th place (14-under par 270). The 'Mexican duo' Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz showed less presence on their home course. Ancer finished tied for 42nd (6-under par 282), and Ortiz tied for 51st (5-under par 279). From Korea, Kang Sung-hoon (35, CJ Logistics) tied for 51st place.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.