The 2021 Masters Tournament came to a historic end on Sunday, with Hideki Matsuyama becoming the first Japanese golfer to win a men’s major. He was not the only golfer drawing attention, however, considering that Jon Rahm inched closer to surpassing one of Tiger Woods‘ records. He put together his 15th consecutive round at par or under, one shy of his peer’s all-time number.
Rahm was solid during the highly-anticipated tournament en route to a fifth-place tie. He shot 72, 72, 72, and 66 in four rounds. The first three rounds were even-par while the fourth was six-under. Rahm’s fifth-place tie was his fourth-best career finish at Augusta National. The professional golfer is currently on a 15-round streak at the iconic course where he has made par or under. The last time he finished over par was the first round of the 2018 Masters.
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Watch every shot from Jon Rahm’s final-round 66. #themasters pic.twitter.com/QOPvvK0OzJ
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 12, 2021
Woods is the only golfer with a better record, posting 16 consecutive rounds at The Masters with scores of par or under. His streak took place from 2007 to 2011. He didn’t win any of his five green jackets during this run but finished as a runner-up twice (2007, 2008).
In order to make history, Rahm will have to start the 2022 Masters off with strong performances. He will have to score par or better in the first round to tie Woods’ all-time mark of 16. Repeating this feat in the second round would make history.
The most interesting part of Rahm inching closer to history is that he was in danger of missing the Masters. He was the last golfer to arrive while awaiting the birth of his child. Rahm previously said that he would fly home for the delivery regardless of where he sat on the leaderboard.
Following the birth and the arrival of the nanny, Rahm hopped on a plane and flew to Georgia on Tuesday afternoon. He took his COVID-19 test to ensure that he could compete and then arrived at the clubhouse on Wednesday morning, meeting with the media after jumping out of the car. Rahm was the last of the 88 golfers to register for the tournament.
“For so long I didn’t think I was going to be able to be here,” Rahm said, per Golfweek. “I thought I was just going to have to get the ticket back home [during the Masters], so I’m happy that she’s healthy. I’m happy that he is healthy. I’m grateful that they’re both doing great, and I’m really happy I can be here rested and ready to compete.”
