“Finally got one done,” said Jon Rahm after winning the LIV Golf event in the UK on Sunday. He moved to LIV Golf earlier this year and has not had the chance to lift the trophy ever since. His last win was at the Masters 2023, where he defeated Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson by a major four strokes.

The win came out to be such a huge feat for him that he could not help but bury his face in his hat and let out a tear! Well, it had to be, after all, he was once the No. 1 golfer in the world back in 2021. This subjected him to a lot of criticism from the media and fans. Well, for him, actions speak louder than words, and now that his actions have spoken, Rahm finally has an answer for the critics!

Jon Rahm says he is his own biggest critic

After the LIV Golf event concluded at JCB, the Legion XIII team members had a post-round conference. During it, the captain was asked about the constant scrutiny he would face for not having a single win for 15 months, and if that bothered him at all. To this, he replied, “It never bothered me because I don’t think any of you guys would say something. I wasn’t already thinking. I’m my worst critic.”

He had even stated earlier how he was already struggling because of his wife’s pregnancy, and well adding the performance to this list, was all the more overwhelming. He truly could not bring his best to the course. But as he said the criticism was not all bad for him. “I tried to use it as motivation, right? And told myself, if I put myself in that position again, I was gonna try my hardest to take advantage of it. So I’m glad I did.”

The Majors too were not going very well for him initially. Rahm finished with a T45 at the Augusta National with a 10-over score and missed the cut at the PGA Championship. However, he was comparatively better at the Royal Troon and bagged a T7. But well, a top-10 finish does not seem to be enough. And that was what increased the level of criticism. “When you’re in the public, you are going to get criticized? So, You almost have to use it as fuel to motivate,” concluded the former No. 1 player.

The victory had a lot of reasons to be special indeed. After all, it came after a grueling ultimate round. His Ryder Cup teammate and LIV Golf mate Tyrrell Hatton, was in a cutthroat competition with him until the last stroke. The likes of either one of them winning the game were pretty much the same.

The dramatic play at the last hole

Jon Rahm beat Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann, and defending champion Cameron Smith, on Sunday with a score of 4-under 67 by one stroke. Rahm and Tyrrell were both tied at an under-12 until the 17th hole at JCB. There were absolutely no flaws till then and a playoff was pretty much speculated.

However, Tyrrell Hatton ended up missing a 6-foot par putt and ended the round with a bogey. Meanwhile, Jon Rahm went for a dramatic even-par ending, which enabled him to secure his maiden victory. It was Hatton’s toe to toe competition that kept the 2X Major winner on his foot. Rahm even said, “I’ve got to give Tyrrell a lot of credit. He’s a fantastic player and you never want to see him like that.”

What are your thoughts about the exceptional roller coaster ride that the ultimate round of the LIV Golf UK took us through? Let us know in the comments section below!