Jon Rahm doesn’t care he’s No. 1, Tiger Woods will always be centre of attention & Viktor Hovland is too clever
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Published 20/02/2023 at 16:11 GMT
The PGA Tour’s latest stop was the Riviera Country Club for the Genesis Invitational 2023. Jon Rahm won the event to ratify his status as the world’s best golfer, not that the 28-year-old Spanish star cares. Elsewhere, Tiger Woods, who made his return to action, was the centre of attention for an incident with Justin Thomas on the ninth hole of his first round. Here are five things we learned.
'I'm having the best season of my life' - Genesis Invitational winner Rahm left overjoyed
Another stellar field gathered for the latest stop on the PGA Tour - at the Genesis Invitational 2023 - where Spain’s Jon Rahm once again came out on top.
The crowds also flocked to Riviera Country Club as Tiger Woods made his return to action. Here are five things we learned from The Genesis Invitational 2023.
Rahm is red hot
"It’s all about Jon Rahm right now in the game of golf," declared legendary CBS commentator Jim Nantz as the Spaniard tapped in to seal his victory - and it’s hard to argue.
Rahm’s success at the Riviera Country Club was his third PGA Tour victory in this calendar year and incredibly his fifth win in his last nine worldwide starts.
He rode his luck once during the tournament but two birdies in the last four holes proved enough to deny his nearest challenger and local favourite Max Homa and secure the $3.6m winner’s cheque offered at the latest ‘designated’ event with increased prize funds.
His 10th PGA Tour success also propelled him back to world No. 1 and also saw him eclipse the tally of his idol and compatriot Seve Ballesteros.
Rahm is the world’s best - but doesn’t really care
It is fair to say that Rahm is not a great fan of the current world ranking system having recently described the criteria behind it as "laughable".
And he clearly cares little about having returned to top spot for the first time since March last year with victory propelling him past Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler who have also both claimed the honour in recent weeks.
“I don’t really care. I've won five out of my last nine starts; I haven't finished worse than top-seven [in the last five starts], and I've won three tournaments already,” Rahm said following his latest win. “I don't need a ranking to … validate anything, right? Having the best season of my life and hopefully I can keep it going.”
He could be excused for being too preoccupied with counting his money having bagged an eye-watering $9.4m in prize money this year alone but the father-of-two takes greater pride and joy in spending time with his family, which may be the key to his ongoing success.
“I'm a good golfer, but I strive to be an even better dad, husband and friend. That's the priority to me. That's why when I get home it makes things a lot easier. I don't know, it kind of -- it's an on and off. I get there and let's say golf mode is off and I'm dad, which I'm much happier being dad, it's a lot less stressful for now.“
He added: “It's like a natural recharge for my brain and myself. I don't know, it just makes me so happy that puts me, like I said, in a really good spot and gives me a lot of perspective, right, of what really matters.”
Tiger Woods still moves the needle
Tiger Woods was always going to be the centre of attention in his first competitive appearance since The Open last year but it was not his golf that grabbed the majority of the headlines.
An incident with Justin Thomas during his opening round drew much reaction on social media and eventually prompted an apology from the tournament host, which itself also annoyed some.
“It was supposed to be all fun and games and obviously it hasn’t turned out that way,” Woods told reporters when pressed on the issue.
However, the 47-year-old was able to make the cut and through four days of gruelling golf despite the physical limitations he continues to battle as a result of his car accident two years ago.
There were flashes of brilliance…
…and not brilliance - on his way to a T45 finish.
Woods admitted to more than a little rust but it is his fitness and recovery that are his primary concerns as he contemplates his next outing - most likely at Augusta.
Viktor Hovland is just too clever for PGA TOUR officials
A return to Riviera allowed Norway’s Viktor Hovland to once again showcase his alternative approach to the 15th hole - despite attempts by tournament officials to curb his creativity.
The Norwegian hit the headlines last year with his unorthodox line into the par-4, that actually utilises the 17th fairway, and this time around a huge scoreboard was erected to seemingly prevent such a short cut.
Not to be deterred, Hovland simply teed it up a little higher and thanks to the back tee option was still able to find his chosen approach line from the 17th. His methods caused chaos with the PGA Tour shot-tracking and stats systems but not his scorecard.
The mischievous Hovland would eventually walk away with a share of 20th place while tournament officials were simply left scratching their heads.
TV viewers may have had the best seat in the house
While Rahm raises the bar on the course, host broadcaster CBS - whose coverage featured on Eurosport - continue to do so off it with Saturday’s third round including the latest example of their ground-breaking approach.
Following live link-ups with Max Homa at the Farmers Insurance Open and Keith Mitchell at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am, viewers were this time granted a rare insight into Collin Morikawa’s game as he tackled the 10th at Riviera.
With the help of a dedicated camera, an AirPod and an eloquent Morikawa, we got the lowdown on his mood, his thinking, his shot selection and strategy.
‘I’m just trying to hit fairways and greens,’ joked the 26-year-old American - but this was not someone just going through the motions, comfortable in the fact he had made the cut and had a decent payday coming.
Morikawa was half way through his round and within sight of the lead but he still embraced the opportunity. A clumsy finish on Saturday left him with too much to do on the final day but after going 4-under for his closing three holes, he would eventually finish in a tie for 6th place and earn a US$700,000 cheque.
Not every player will be so open to the idea but given the exposure it offers to the player (and his sponsors) and the opportunity to engage the audience in a new way while raising their own profile, expect more to get mic’d up.
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