Jon Rahm Wins Memorial

Last updated on: July 19, 2020 at 5:37 pm by Kermit Zarley

Jon Rahm Wins Memorial 2020-07-19T17:37:52-07:00 Kermit Zarley

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Jon Rahm–a possible superstar Spaniard in the making–won the PGA Tour’s Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, by several strokes over Ryan Palmer to become the #1 in World Rankings for the first time in his four-year career. For a while, Rahm looked like a runaway freight train when he increased his four-stroke lead starting the day to an eight-stroke lead after the front nine. But a bogey and double bogey at the 10th and 11th holes soon put him only three strokes in front of Palmer as they arrived at the reachable par five 15th hole. Ryan the drove well into the fairway, but committed a dastardly mistake on his next, second shot. It looked like he made way too short of a backswing with his fairway metalwood, shoving the ball way right into the water.

On the par three 16th, Rahm surely played one of the greatest little wedge shots of this Tour season by a leader in the final holes. He, too, had committed a bad mistake by missing the green to the left when the pin was tucked back left. Under both of those circumstances–Palmer’s second shot on the 15th and Rahm’s first shot on the 16th–you must make sure that if you miss the green, you miss on the other side, thus Ryan going left and Rahm going right. That’s called “good course management.”

Fortunately for Rahm, his teeshot on the 16th cleared the water hazard and settled between the water and sand bunker in thick rough. Yet, he had an almost impossible little wedge shot to get close to the hole. Instead, he lofted the ball extremely well as it landed perfectly, just over the thick rough onto the fringe, and the ball rolled at a reasonable speed right into the middle of the cup for a birdie. That pretty much put the tournament away for Rahm as the winner as both players parred the last, 18th hole.

However, television cameras had gotten a close up shot of Rahm’s ball as he addressed it with his wedge on that 16th hole, and those pictures showed clearly that Rahm caused the ball to move and change position. That is supposed to be a one stroke penalty. Rahm was asked about it right after he finished the round and before he signed his scorecard. He was surprised, not knowing that he may have caused the ball to move. It was pretty obvious that he sincerely didn’t notice it, which can easily be possible since the ball was in some thick rough. PGA Tour officials had not ruled on it when the telecast ended. That’s why I started this post saying Rahm won “by several strokes,” since we didn’t know if it was a penalty. But it wouldn’t affect the outcome.

Jon Rahm is now rising to his capability, being #1 in the world. But he still needs to work on his temper. Even though he had a seven-stroke lead after ten holes today, he missed the fairway with his teeshot on the 11th hole and slammed the head of his driver into the teeing ground with a lot of force. Six-time major champion Nick Faldo, being one of the TV commentators, remarked that Rahm should not have done that. Nick said, “chill.” Everyone knows that Jon Rahm has a temper that gets out of control, sometimes even when he is in contention the closing holes to win the tournament like today. And some of those times it may have cost him the win. But not today.

Rahm is a powerful guy. In my day, if you would have done that the steel club shaft might have broken, which would incur a fine. IMO, the PGA Tour should not allow players get away with that behavior. It makes the Tour look bad. Of course, it is a judgment call of Tour officials as to whether the player is committing the infraction of “conduct unbecoming a professional golfer.” But I think he should at least be fined and it announced to the public.

Regardless, congratulations to the Spaniard that, for all we know, may be following in the footsteps of the great, much beloved, and now deceased Seve Ballesteros, Rahm’s boyhood hero.

Previous Post

July 19, 2020

Trump Says Biden Would Say, "Tear Down this Wall"

Next Post

July 19, 2020 Trump Is Such a Big Liar About COVID-19

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Angels Billy Graham Blog Description Book Reviews Christian Living Christianity Christology Church History Current Events Deity of Christ? Disarmament Eschatology Evangelicalism Ezekiel 38-39 Film Reviews God Golf Gospel Harmonization Health History Holy Spirit Incarnation? Interview Islam Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Jesus Last Empire Literary Announcements Major Championship Winners Masters Monotheism My Books New Testament Old Testament Politics Primitive Weapons Ryder Cup Science Society of Biblical Literature The Bible The Restitution of Jesus Christ Trinitarianism Trinity? Uncategorized Unconditional Love? War on Terrorism

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who told Saul, "To obey is better than sacrifice"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Nathan Samuel David Eli

Books by This Author Books by Kermit Zarley Blog

See All Titles »