Rahm powers to Kapalua victory

Jon Rahm of Spain celebrates with the trophy after winning during the final round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Plantation Course at Kapalua Golf Club on 8 January 2023 in Lahaina, Hawaii – Getty Images via AFP

LOS ANGELES, AFP: Jon Rahm fired nine birdies and an eagle in a 10-under par 63 on Sunday to surge past faltering Collin Morikawa and win the US PGA Tour Tournament of Champions by two strokes.

Rahm trailed third-round leader Morikawa by nine after a bogey at the first hole, and two-time major winner Morikawa had pushed his six-shot overnight lead to seven after his third birdie of the day at the sixth.

Spain’s Rahm, however, poured it on and Morikawa cracked, Rahm capturing his eighth US PGA Tour title with a 24-under par total of 265 on the par-73 Plantation Course at Kapalua in Hawaii.

Rahm came away with the win a year after his scorching 33-under par total at Kapalua left him, a stroke behind winner Cameron Smith, whose 34-under set a new record for the lowest 72-hole score in relation to par US PGA Tour history.

He also scooped a $ 2.7 million winner’s prize from the $ 15 million purse ─ boosted this year in the first of the PGA Tour’s “elevated events” for 2023 featuring increased purses and promises of top fields in response to the Saudi-funded LIV Golf League.