Rahm triumphs on home soil as Elvira falls away

Fans in Madrid got what they wanted as Jon Rahm claimed his third European Tour title at the Open de Espana.

Published : Apr 15, 2018 22:02 IST

Jon Rahm delighted the crowd at the Open de Espana on Sunday by claiming a two-shot victory on home soil after Nacho Elvira fell away.

World number four Rahm carded a closing 67 to move to 20 under for the tournament, his birdie at the last coinciding with Elvira posting a double-bogey on the par-three 17th.

An all-Spanish play-off looked on the cards until Elvira found the water with his tee shot on the penultimate hole and, after seeing a brilliant chip for par lip out, had to two-putt what looked like a routine finish.

That sent the 31-year-old down to third behind overnight leader Paul Dunne, who was kept at bay by Rahm with a trio of birdies on a flawless back nine.

"It's hard to describe the feeling of satisfaction and pride right now," said Rahm after claiming his first professional victory in his homeland.

"Being able to win this as a pro for the Spanish people feels great, it's hard to describe.

"I knew that if I played my game I could make birdies early on. I started with four perfect shots and that got me going."

Rahm, Dunne and Elvira were tied for the lead on two occasions, but it was the 23-year-old who held his nerve in his 19th Tour event to become the third-quickest player to three titles.

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