LOS ANGELES — Ultimately, the Official World Golf Rankings replicate what the grounds from Hawaii to Palm Springs and now Pacific Palisades have proven us: Jon Rahm is the perfect golfer on the earth proper now.
“I do not want a rating to validate something,” Rahm mentioned after his last spherical Sunday. “I am having the perfect season of my life.”
The 28-year-old Spaniard not solely notched his third win of the season (the tenth of his profession on the PGA Tour) on the Genesis Invitational this week to say that prime spot, however he did it by holding off 22 of the opposite 25 greatest gamers on the earth who teed it up on the Riviera Nation Membership for the tour’s third designated occasion this season. And through every week by which the participant who has spent the longest ever time in that prime spot returned to competitors, Rahm obtained the last word praise, too.
“Please perceive and respect how good this man is,” match host Tiger Woods, nonetheless in his Sunday purple from ending the match at 1 beneath, mentioned in the course of the post-round trophy ceremony. “He is simply getting began.”
Rahm spoke after the spherical of being nervous forward of Sunday’s end given all the pieces that was at stake. However he additionally famous that the angle he has obtained from having his sons, Kepa and Eneko, round has allowed him to take his thoughts off golf on the proper moments. Nonetheless, he was not shy in regards to the private significance of this specific victory.
“It is at all times a match that I’ve wished to win,” Rahm mentioned. Then later he mentioned in Spanish that, whereas it was a “annoying day,” listening to Tiger award him along with his match made all of it price it.
Woods’ presence within the sport stays insurmountable and all-consuming. The crowds this week and the eye he nonetheless garners proved as a lot. But as his profession has entered a brand new stage, the place his attendance in tournaments will likely be few and much between, the fixed seek for his inheritor obvious appears to have shifted into an appreciation for the way his affect has created a stage of depth that makes profitable on tour tougher than ever. It is what makes Rahm’s season to date all of the extra spectacular. Even the man who practically beat him Sunday, Max Homa, known as him “Thanos.”
“I have been in a position to match a really small side of [Tiger’s career],” Rahm mentioned. “And hopefully I can preserve doing lots of nice issues this yr to place my title up there to certainly one of his years.”
On Sunday, Rahm turned the primary PGA Tour participant since Justin Thomas within the 2016-17 season to win 3 times earlier than the month of March. His dominance goes past the numbers, too. There is a sense that any time Rahm is within the discipline, he’ll buoy to the highest of the leaderboard. With loads extra designated occasions and 4 majors on deck, Rahm’s sport seems to be arrange properly to show this historic yr into one thing even higher.
Here is what else occurred at Riviera this weekend:
When will we see Tiger once more?
There’s an opportunity golf followers might see Tiger Woods once more in two weeks on the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which he has gained eight instances, or the Gamers Championship, the tour’s flagship occasion, the week after. However with Woods saying he solely deliberate to play within the 4 majors and probably two or three different occasions every season, it appears extra doubtless that he will not tee it up once more on tour till the Masters on April 6-9.
“My intent final yr was to play in all 4 majors,” Woods mentioned. “I received three of the 4. Hopefully, this yr I can get all 4 and perhaps sprinkle in a number of right here and there. However that is it for the remainder of my profession. I do know that and I perceive that. That is simply my actuality.”
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Woods was in a position to play 72 holes for the primary time in 10 months; he final did it on the 2022 Masters, which was his first official match again since he was significantly injured in a automotive wreck in February 2021. Woods mentioned the stroll at Riviera was in all probability tougher than he let on. When requested if it was strolling up hills, down hills or the general put on and tear on his physique, Woods responded, “Yep, all the above.”
Woods mentioned his restoration from spherical to spherical contains just about sleeping in ice after which reactivating his muscular tissues the subsequent morning.
“Yeah, I just about lay in ice just about all night time,” Woods mentioned. “It is not enjoyable, very chilly on a regular basis. After which remedy, then getting muscular tissues activated and return and hop within the chilly once more. The ebb and stream of that, it is onerous. It is onerous mentally, it is onerous bodily.”
Transferring up and down
Transferring up
Harris English
English has been scrapping his approach again after lacking 5 months final season following surgical procedure to restore a torn labrum in his proper hip. He had six birdies and carded a bogey-free 65 on Sunday. He tied for twelfth at 8 beneath.
Jason Day
The Australian continues to return on robust. He had 13 birdies within the last two rounds mixed to complete at 9 beneath and tie for ninth. It was his fourth straight top-20 end and he’ll transfer even nearer to the highest 50 on the earth — and an invite to the Masters, which he missed final season for the primary time since 2010.
Gary Woodland
The 2019 U.S. Open winner has been struggling along with his type for some time, however a tie for ninth is a step in the proper course. He had three straight rounds within the 60s earlier than carding an even-par 71 on Sunday. Woodland mentioned he’d been tweaking his swing and urgent an excessive amount of in competitors.
Matt Kuchar
Woods wasn’t the one growing older golfer in his 40s who was making an attempt to make a resurgence this week. Kuchar shot 66 within the first spherical and 67 within the fourth and completed solo eighth at 10 beneath. It was his second top-10 in his previous 4 begins. Kuchar additionally did not play at Augusta Nationwide final season, the primary time he’d missed the Masters since 2009.
Adam Svensson
Svensson, from Canada, hadn’t accomplished a lot since selecting up his first PGA Tour win on the RSM Basic in November. After back-to-back missed cuts, he completed tied for ninth at 9 beneath.
Transferring down
Jordan Spieth
The Spieth curler coaster continued. After tying for sixth on the WM Phoenix Open, he missed the reduce at Riviera. He misplaced greater than a stroke to the sphere off the tee and about 3 strokes in placing. Not a recipe for fulfillment.
Hideki Matsuyama
Matsuyama might by no means determine the poa annua greens at Riviera, which is why he missed the reduce. He wanted 61 putts in two rounds and misplaced greater than 3 strokes to the sphere on the greens.
Justin Rose
Rose, who had gained in his earlier begin on the AT&T Pebble Seashore Professional-Am, had made the reduce in 11 of his earlier 12 begins at Riviera. He hit solely three of 14 fairways Thursday earlier than hitting eight Friday.
Sam Burns
After back-to-back top-15 finishes, Burns wasn’t round for the weekend at Riviera. He has missed the reduce in three of his 5 begins within the Genesis.
Matt Fitzpatrick
The reigning U.S. Open champion has missed the reduce in two of his previous three begins; he tied for twenty ninth within the WM Phoenix Open. The Englishman, who tied for fifth in his earlier begin at Riviera, had solely three birdies in 36 holes.
Better of the weekend
Finest drive
Wave as you go by, Rory McIlroy.
Oh STOP IT Rory! 🤯 @McIlroyRory completely crushed his tee shot 385 yards down the green. #Stealth2Driver #Fargivenesspic.twitter.com/Cl9bDsHtbx
— TaylorMadeGolfEurope (@TaylorMadeTour) February 17, 2023
Finest tee shot
Tiger wanted perhaps three extra rotations to document his first ace in an official PGA Tour occasion since 1997.
ALMOST an ace for @TigerWoods 🔥 pic.twitter.com/WMaBgyaH1S
— PGA TOUR LIVE (@PGATOURLIVE) February 17, 2023
Finest method
It did not even bounce!
Hey @NBAonTNT, know the dunk contest is tomorrow however can we get a rating on this one from @XSchauffele pic.twitter.com/TqEkIx95kG
— Callaway Golf (@CallawayGolf) February 18, 2023
Finest sand shot
Basic look, a cultured shot from Keith Mitchell.
Getting inventive with the bunker shot 👏@K_m_Mitchell makes use of the slope to his benefit. pic.twitter.com/ahJkib4aZl
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 18, 2023
Finest up and down
A fried egg in a wall for Homa.
HOW?!@MaxHoma23 with the par save of the day @TheGenesisInv. pic.twitter.com/sfR3TIgMuE
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 18, 2023
Finest putt
Means to make use of the backstop, Collin Morikawa.
Superior putt, higher response 😂
Co-leader @Collin_Morikawa could not imagine this one dropped @TheGenesisInv. pic.twitter.com/PhTOqWXgdD
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 17, 2023
Finest break
Jon Rahm will in all probability by no means duplicate it once more.
Jon Rahm practically banks it in on the par-5 seventeenth and makes eagle:pic.twitter.com/lbYnq3IgNj
— Golf Central (@GolfCentral) February 18, 2023
Finest social media
Verify that one off, certainly.
What a second ❤️ @TigerWoods checked off the second merchandise for this younger fan @TheGenesisInv ✅ https://t.co/apUl88V4eP pic.twitter.com/n2VEugYwKg
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 19, 2023
Not less than he is sincere.
Typically you simply gotta beg just a little bit… https://t.co/TAvDY7EknO
— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) February 19, 2023
Begin ’em younger.
All smiles watching @TigerWoods in the present day. pic.twitter.com/bb6pdqrZ72
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 18, 2023
The celebs had been out in L.A., from Buffalo Payments quarterback Josh Allen to Rob Lowe.
Josh Allen: Large Tiger Woods man pic.twitter.com/b4VR2WsgpV
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) February 19, 2023
The celebs are similar to us.
Simply ask @RobLowe 🤩 pic.twitter.com/5Stz07vL3c
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 17, 2023
Love someone like Tiger loves JT.
This look between Tiger and JT 💯 pic.twitter.com/qnF2roCSIZ
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 17, 2023
Say what?
Our sixteenth President, Abraham Lincoln, is within the professional wrestling Corridor of Fame with a document of roughly 299-1. Simply thought you’d wish to know 🤷♂️ Have a pleasant day and congrats to the KC Chiefs.
— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) February 13, 2023
