"This victory, it is for Seve," said Rahm on the verge of tears at the ceremonial ceremony where he received, in addition to a check for $ 3.2 million, the famous green blazer given to each winner of the Masters.

The most important success of his young career, Rahm, 28, signed it on April 9, the birth day of Severiano Ballesteros, forty years to the day after the second coronation of "Seve" at Augusta.

It is difficult, if not impossible, not to see this as a sign.

"From up there, he was there to help me and he really helped me," said the man who became the fourth Spaniard to emerge victorious from the traps of the manicured greens of the Augusta National after Ballesteros (1980 and 1983), Jose Maria Olazabal (1994) and Sergio Garcia (2017).

To hear him, Rahm benefited from an extra soul that allowed him Sunday during the 4th and last lap to erase his two strokes behind Brooks Koepka and win with four strokes (-8) over the American, who shared second place with his compatriot Phil Mickelson (-12).

Spain's Jon Rahm on the green on hole No. 17 during the 4th round of the 2023 Masters on April 9, 2023 in Augusta © Andrew Redington/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

Worthy heir

"It's difficult to explain otherwise how I managed to play like this Sunday with only one bogey in difficult conditions and finish with such a lead. I'm really proud of myself and what I've achieved," he said.

As soon as his last putt hit the nail on the head and gave him his second Grand Slam title, after the 2021 US Open, the Basque rolled his eyes to the sky, as if to dedicate this victory to Ballesteros, who died of a brain tumor almost twelve years ago.

After his triumph, between hugs with his loved ones and the congratulations of his opponents, the Spaniard, nicknamed "Rahmbo" because of his imposing size (1.88 m, 100 kg) and his rage to win, received the embrace of his compatriot Olazabal, very moved.

Spain's Jon Rahm during the ceremonial ceremony after his victory in the 2023 Masters on April 9, 2023 at Augusta © ROSS KINNAIRD / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

"He told me he hoped it was my first (Masters) of a long streak and we both talked about +Seve+. If we had continued to talk about it, I'm sure we would both have ended up in tears," he said.

For the Spanish press, Rahm is the worthy heir of Ballesteros, considered one of the best players in history with his five Grand Slam titles (two Masters, three British Open) and 90 titles, including 50, a record, on the European Tour.

"Only Seve (among the Spanish days) had won two different Majors," recalled Marca, the country's best-selling daily.

"Best possible tribute"

In an editorial with lyrical accents entitled "Rahm in pursuit of the legend of Seve", the newspaper As points out that "Rahm rushed into the breach opened 43 years ago by Seve, of whom he has always considered himself an heir": "The day when the genius of Pedrena would have celebrated his 66th birthday, Rahmbo triumphed at Augusta for the best possible tribute".

If he is rewriting the history of Spanish golf, and if he is the first European to have won the US Open and the Masters, Rahm has spent most of his career in the United States: he went through the American university system, joining Arizona State University at 19, before making his debut on the North American PGA Tour in 2016.

Married since 2019 to Kelley, a former athlete he met at university and who gave him two children Kepa and Enecko, Rahm won his first titles in 2017 before becoming in 2020 for the first time No. 1 in the world, then being voted best player of the PGA Tour the following year.

Back at the top of the world rankings thanks to his coronation at the Masters, Rahm now has eleven titles on the PGA Tour, including two Majors, and ten on the European Tour, including two editions of the Spanish Open, dear to the... Severiano Ballesteros, who had won three times.

© 2023 AFP