Jon Rahm caressed the trophy for winning the 121st US Open just like his three-month-old son Kepa just minutes earlier.

The 26-year-old Spaniard smiled, patted the silver cup and was visibly delighted with the first major victory of his career - in a place that means so much to him, of all places.

“That's exactly why I won.

It had to happen in a beautiful setting like this, ”said Rahm on Sunday at the Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla.

With two outstanding putts on lanes 17 and 18 and a round of 67, he had previously laid the foundation for South African Louis Oosthuizen to finish second, one stroke behind.

What all contributed to the fact that Rahm felt as if “the stars were in the right constellation”?

Well: Sunday was Father's Day in the USA, Rahm experienced the US Open for the first time in this role with his parents as guests and his wife Kelley and little Kepa on the course.

He also proposed to her on those cliffs in north San Diego that have always seemed as familiar to him as his Spanish homeland - and where he won his first tournament on the PGA tour four years ago after a crazy putt on the last Hole.

“I love Torrey Pines and Torrey Pines loves me,” he said.

"It almost feels like a movie"

Just two weeks ago, Rahms had already had an apparently bitter setback in his previously impressive form: with six strokes in the lead, he received the news at the Memorial Tournament in the US state of Ohio after the last track that he had tested positive for Corona and would not continue playing may.

“It's one of those things that happen in life, one of those moments when the way we react to a setback defines us as people,” Rahm wrote afterwards on Twitter.

He came through the infection without any major symptoms and now said: "It almost feels like a movie that will soon be over and I'll wake up soon."

While Germany's golf star Martin Kaymer, like so many others, had difficulties on Sunday and, after the strong rounds of 68 and 69 on the days before, fell back from 21st to 26th place with a 73er round, Rahn played almost flawlessly.

Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau literally imploded and slipped from first place after two bogeys and a triple bogey on the last nine lanes with a total of 287 strokes to Kaymer in 26th place. Rahm, on the other hand, only managed a bogey on lane five, but also booked five Birdies.

He got the last two on lanes 17 and 18 when he caused huge cheers in the audience and himself with two long putts.

After that he had to wait, in the company of his friend Phil Mickelson, he kept warm for a possible jump-off and then cheered after the decisive mistake by Oosthuizen as the last opponent on the pitch in his wife's arms and with his son Kepa in his arms.

“Little man, you have no idea what this means right now,” Rahm said audibly to his son. "But you will soon enough." Jon Rahm is now number one in the golf world rankings.