LOS ANGELES — Jon Rahm returned to world No. 1 on Sunday by winning the Genesis Invitational with a performance that left no doubt as to who plays the best golf.
Rahm, who was embroiled in a fight with his hometown favorite Max Homa on the Riviera, delivered two big moments with a 45-foot birdie putt from the rim on the par-3 14 and a tee shot on 2 feet for Birdie on the par-3 16th.
He finished with a 2-under 69 for a two-shot win over Homa.
Complete scores of The Genesis Invitational
“Pretty unbelievable,” said Rahm. “[Winning]on a golf course with this legacy, this history and hosted by Tiger Woods is such an honor.”
Patrick Cantlay got up to two bogeys with one shot on the back nine. He had a 67 to finish third alone, which put him at No. 4 in the world.
Woods had four bogeys in an eight-hole stretch and shot 73 to earn 45th place.
“Unfortunately, my streak continues,” Woods said with a smile, alluding to his 12 appearances as a pro on the Riviera without ever winning.
His success was measured in progress. It was his first time playing 72 holes since the Masters last April — Woods has only played twice since as he tries to cope with leg and back injuries that will make appearances on the PGA Tour rare. He doesn’t know if he will play again before the Masters.
Woods still had the largest gallery to the end, with thousands of fans crowding the mound above the 18th green to see him finish to a par in that familiar red shirt under a black vest.
BY Brentley Romine – Feb 19, 2023 @ 5:27pm
Tiger Woods shot 2 for 73 to complete his 72 holes at the Genesis Invitational on Sunday, an accomplishment in his own right.
And then viewers turned their attention to a terrific duel between Rahm and Homa, each with two wins each on the PGA Tour this season.
Rahm now has five wins in his last nine starts worldwide, dating back to his win at the Spanish Open. He has not finished in the top 10 in his last 10 tournaments.
It was his third win in five starts on the PGA Tour this year, and he’s already made more than $9 million over the past two months.
That wasn’t as easy as it looked in the end.
“It was a tough week and a tough Sunday,” said Rahm.
Homa, who won at the Riviera two years ago, started the final round three strokes back. He closed in quickly in one shot, only for the Spaniard to be inches from holed in from the fairway at No. 8 for a tap-in birdie while Homa bogeyed from behind the green to take another three shots to slide backwards.
And then that changed quickly.
After birdie the ninth from 15 feet, Homa drove to the far edge of the 10th green and landed in two for a birdie. Cream went well to the left. His pitch was short and rolled down the back of the green behind a bunker. He pitched up – and then over – the green into another bunker and had to do a 6-foot bogey.
Two holes later, Homa took the lead for the first time when Rahm made three putts for a bogey, only for Homa to bogey it back from a bad tee shot.
Rahm won the par 3 with his putter and a full swing. He finished 17 under 267 and earned $3.6 million from the $20 million purse, the second consecutive elevated event on the PGA Tour.
BY Golf Channel Digital – February 19, 2023 at 5:57 p.m
Jon Rahm clinched his third PGA Tour win of the year at the Genesis and took his earnings to an astounding level in 2023.
Rahm has just over $9.4 million in earnings on the PGA Tour over the past two months – victories in Kapalua and the California desert, as well as the Riviera classic course off the fabled Sunset Boulevard. He finished third at Phoenix and seventh at Torrey Pines in his other two starts that year.
This is Rahm’s fifth time as world no.
Rory McIlroy, who started the year at No. 1 and won his first event of the year in Dubai on the European Tour, was not a factor for the second straight week. McIlroy had a 73-71 weekend and finished tied 29th.
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