Getty Image / David Cannon
Jon Rahm emerged victorious as the 2023 Masters champion after a marathon 30-hole day at Augusta National Golf Club.
The Spaniard was chasing down Brooks Koepka throughout the second, third, and into the 4th round at The Masters. In the end, it was Rahm’s ability to finish his second round with a 3-under par 69 while the conditions were horrendous that buoyed him to the green jacket.
Rahm would shoot 65-69-73-69 and leapfrog past Brooks Koepka in the final round after Brooksy shot a 4th-round score of 75.
As Jon Rahm stood victorious on the 18th green of the Masters preparing to be fitted with his first green jacket and continuing one of the most unprecedented 2023 years imaginable, an old tweet from Jon Rahm about The Masters went viral.
In 2013, Jon Rahm tweeted his fortune from a prophetic fortune cookie at Panda Express. His message was simple: “I am gonna win The Masters!”
I am gonna win the masters! @goodwalkspoiled pic.twitter.com/c7oT46dMGG
— Jon Rahm Rodriguez (@JonRahmpga) November 9, 2013
That tweet exploded in popularity. Panda Express is now offering to cater The Masters’ Champions Dinner next season when Rahm will choose the menu:
@TheMasters Champions Dinner? We’re game if you are. https://t.co/LxeeTDKBSh
— Panda Express (@PandaExpress) April 10, 2023
It would be very surprising if Jon Rahm doesn’t choose a Spanish cuisine meal for his Champion’s Dinner at The Masters:
Gotta do orange chicken as part of the appetizers at next year’s Champions Dinner.
— Tim Gavrich (@TimGavrich) April 9, 2023
It never hurts to put your goals out into the world:
Dreams realized. #greenjacket
— Mercedes-Benz USAㅤ (@MercedesBenzUSA) April 10, 2023
Phil Mickelson’s brother, Tim, believed Rahm could do it back in 2013:
Nailed it. 🔱🆙
— 🎙Bauer (@MikeJackBauer) April 10, 2023
Including Jon Rahm, a foreign-born golfer has one The Masters for the past 50 years in every year that ends with ‘3’.
April 9th 2017: Spaniard Sergio Garcia wins his first Masters
April 9th 2023: Spaniard Jon Rahm wins his first Masters
— Hard Rock Sportsbook (@HardRockSB) April 9, 2023
Coming into the week, Jon Rahm had the third-best odds to win The Masters behind Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. Rory didn’t even make the cut and Scottie ranked dead last (last I checked) in putting but was still somehow not out of it heading into the weekend.
The fact that Jon Rahm won The Masters after 4-putting the 1st hole of his tournament and spotting the field 2-strokes is incredible. He actually told a story about that after winning and told Zach Ertz to never jinx him again:
I apologize for absolutely nothing!
You can expect these texts every major going forward my friend!
Congratulations! https://t.co/6yBfy5bFx7
— Zach Ertz (@ZERTZ_86) April 10, 2023
Rahm plays regularly back at his home in Scottsdale with Zach Ertz and JJ Watt. Based on his index, he also spots them a TON of strokes on the course:
Rahm keeps a clean handicap for matches with his buddies back home in Scottsdale. @JJWatt @ZERTZ_86
It actually looks like Jon Rahm entered his scores from his win at Kapalua in January. He’s got a few more low ones he can enter for 2023… pic.twitter.com/2FQGKmgZ4a
— Stephen Hennessey (@S_HennesseyGD) April 10, 2023
It seems fair to assume that Rahm will be the odds-on favorite to win the remaining three Major Championships this year.