Jon Rahm climbs to No. 1 on FedExCup standings
Jon Rahm just can't stop winning. The American Express is his second title of the January and fourth in his last six starts. A couple of weeks back, Rahm rallied from six strokes behind to win the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Maui.
He shared a 54-hole lead with Tour rookie Davis Thompson. With a final-round of 4-under 68, the Spaniard became the eventual champion at PGA West’s Stadium Course to edge Thompson for a one-stroke victory at 27 under.
The victory earned him 500 FedEx points and has pushed Rahm to the No. 1 spot in the season-long FedExCup standings.
“You’re seeing now, let’s say, the fruits of all the labor I’ve put in. I felt like I was swinging really well last year; the results were just not happening. And they’re coming in a bunch right now," Rahm said on Sunday evening after winning The American Express.
Rahm came to The American Express at No. 4 in the FedExCup standings behind Seamus Power, Max Homa and Tom Kim. As of today, Kim has moved up to No. 2 given his T6 finish at La Quinta followed by Power, Homa and Brian Harman in the top 5.
Jon Rahm has featured in only three official PGA Tour events this season. He ended up at T-4 in the CJ Cup in South Carolina in October last year. He won the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua earlier this month, followed by Sunday's triumph at the PGA West in California. Apart from the PGA Tour events, the 28-year-old also conquered the Spanish Open and DP World Tour Championship last year.
Rahm is still in the quest for his first FedExCup win. He came close but never really succeeded. He finished in the top 5 thrice earlier this season. During the 2021 season, Rahm finished as a runner-up.
Jon Rahm wins The American Express
Jon Rahm won the The American Express with a final round of 4-under-68, beating rookie Davis Thompson by a one-stroke margin. He shot five birdies and a single bogey on Sunday to clinch the title at La Quinta.
“I'm, in a weird way, glad that today went the way it went," Rahm told NBC after the win. "I've enjoyed some runaway victories, I've enjoyed some comebacks, but today was certainly a struggle.”
Having won The American Express previously, this was Jon Rahm's second win. His four-day score stood at 27-under-261.
Thompson shared the lead with Rahm after 54 holes and was even till 15 holes on the final day but a birdie by Rahm on the 16th switched the game to his side. That single-stroke lead eventually made the difference.
Xander Schauffele and Chris Kirk finished T-3, scoring 10-under 62 on Sunday. Schauffele was returning after a back injury. He withdrew from Sentry TOC due to his back problems. After the first three rounds, he was in 16th position but seven birdies and one eagle in the final round helped him finish third.