Jon Rahm was able to bounce back from an untimely Covid-19 diagnosis a couple weeks ago to win the 2021 U.S. Open, marking his first major victory on the PGA Tour.
Just two weeks ago, Rahm was forced to withdraw from the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, after he tested positive for Covid-19. At the time, he was dominating the field after three rounds, leading the next-closest competitor by six strokes.
After rebounding from such an unfortunate incident to win his first major, Rahm cited karma during his press conference following his U.S. Open victory the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, California.
Rahm is an ASU golf legend
During his time at Arizona State University, Rahm won 11 college golf tournaments, which ranks second in school history, behind Phil Mickelson’s 16 collegiate victories.
Rahm became the first golfer to win the Ben Hogan Award – given to the best college player in the U.S. – twice; earning the accolade in 2015 and 2016. As a result, he competed in the Phoenix Open as an amateur during his junior year at ASU – finishing tied for fifth and only three shots behind the winner.
Following his impressive performance, he became the 28th player to be named the No. 1-ranked golfer in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, where he went on to hold the position for a total of 60 weeks – an all-time record.
Rahm finished his collegiate career by winning a Pac-12 championship and an NCAA regional championship before finishing tied for third in the National Championship.
ASU golfers lead the way in 2021
Rahm entered the U.S. Open as the No. 3-ranked golfer in the world, according to the Official World Golf Rankings. After winning his first major, Rahm catapulted to the top spot on the list, surpassing Dustin Johnson as the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world.
Furthermore, out of the three major tournaments that have been played this year, ASU grads are responsible for two of those victories. First, Phil Mickelson shocked the world with his performance at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina on his way to winning his fifth major at the PGA Championship in May.
Then, about one month later, Rahm kept the Sun Devil magic going at the U.S. Open by notching back-to-back major titles for ASU alumni. Not a bad time to be an ASU golf fan.
