Rahm breaks into big time with closing eagle; Lowry finishes strongly
Jon Rahm goes wild after holing from 60 feet for his eagle three on the 18th on the South Course at Torrey Pines to win the Farmers Insurance Open
La Jolla — Basque star Jon Rahm spectacularly holed a 60 footer from the back fringe for eagle to secure his first PGA Tour win at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines and a place in the big time.
The former world amateur No 1 from Arizona State University was three shots off the lead when he reached the turn after a steady outward nine.
But he then eagled two of the last six holes including a double-breaking, 60-foot putt down a tier at the par-five 18th for a best of the day 65 and a three-shot win over Charles Howell III (68) and Taiwan's CT Pan (70) on 13-under par.
Rahm also birdied the 12th and 17th as he stormed home in just 30 blows to become the first winner to eagle the 72nd hole since Tiger Woods collected the first of his seven wins in San Diego back in 1999.
The former Spanish amateur international moved to nine under when he birdied the 11th before hitting a 233-yard fairway bunker approach inside 20 at the par-five 13th to set up his second eagle of the week at that hole.
A wedge to five feet at the 17th set up another birdie and gave the 22-year old a chance to go for glory at the 18th where he duly produced the goods, hitting his five-wood second to the back fringe.
The rest is hostory as he holed his eagle putt, his ball trickling slowly left to right as it slowed down midway, before gathering speed as it rolled right to left torward the traditional front left Sunday pin, dropping in on the right edge at almost perfect speed.
Shane Lowry saved the best for last, racking up five birdies and just one bogey in a 68 that moved him from 58th to tied 33rd on four under par in his first outing of what promises to be a demanding season.
While he would have liked to have hit more fairways and greens - he finished in the pack in those departments — he was second for strokes gained around the greens, tied 16th for scrambling and 21st for strokes gained putting.
He also kept a three-putt off his card on the final day, holing six putts between six and 15 feet in a 26-putt round to pick up $35,398.