Masters 2023: John Ramm’s Augusta victory is one of the best teams in the history of the majors

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Masters 2023: John Rahm triumphs in Augusta

Drawing from his country’s golf heritage, and equipped with power, touch and feel, new Masters champion Spaniard John Ramm looks like the complete package.

At 28 years old, the Basque is halfway towards a career Grand Slam and has already racked up the toughest set of majors. He became the first European to achieve victories in both the US Open and Augusta.

“If there is anything better than doing something like this, it’s making history,” said Ram. “It’s hard to be the first European ever to do that.

“Of all the achievements and the many great players that have come before me, to be the first to do something like this is a very humbling feeling.”

The Ram achieved his major breakthrough two years ago when he sensationally won the USA National Championship with a stellar curling shot across the 18th green at Torrey Pines.

“It’s a very good big-corps duo,” he reflected, sitting down in his new green jacket. “The US Open is about as tough a test as you’ll ever find.”

His celebration then, wildly smacking the air, was filled with competitive passion.

Ram’s vibes in Augusta on Sunday were equally emotional as he knew his glorious win coincided with the 66th birthday of the great Severiano Ballesteros.

It was Saif who inspired another two-time Masters winner, José María Olazabal. Then Sergio Garcia came along and now Spain has Ram, who might be the best of them all.

Winning Ram Masters Tour

It’s easy to get one hit when the quality of performance is so high. We can read a lot in one week, but we shouldn’t ignore what the Masters champion is achieving at the moment.

Like last year’s winner Scotty Scheffler – the man who knocked him off the top of the world rankings – the Ram’s green jacket marks his fourth win this year.

When he is on song he is unbeatable. Europe already knows the identity of its amulets and its leading personality in September’s Ryder Cup against the United States in Rome.

Last week Ram gave the course a head start by putting up a four to double bogey on his first hole. He was on the wrong side of the draw in terrible wet and stormy conditions and had to chase down a resurgent golf killer in four-time Grand Champion Brooks Koepka.

It was one of the great main shows. Ram won by four strokes, and stayed composed as cheers echoed from across Augusta National on Classic Final Day.

He hit lane after lane until, as he puts it, he finally finished “my sword style” after getting tangled up with trees. He already had one arm in the jacket by then.

And now we allow ourselves to wonder what will happen next. Already we are entitled to think of a Grand Slam career, with the US PGA Championship and The Open, both missing from his resume.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Ram warned. “I mean, it would be amazing. It would be amazing. Not a lot of people have been able to do that, and it would be absolutely amazing to be able to finish it off and close it and do a Grand Slam.

“I would say I entered the race when I won the US Open, but of course, you’re so far away, you don’t want to think about it. But as players, that’s on your mind.

“It’s another thing that would be amazing. But we have a long way to go until we can achieve that. And it’s something that players like Phil can do [Mickelson] And show me [Arnold Palmer] I couldn’t do that, she talks too much.”

It was a vintage Masters, marred only by the appalling pace of those in front of the final twosome, who play with commendable urgency. Patrick Cantlay’s Patty Ice nickname should be changed to “Glacial”.

Ram will be a favorite for the next major, the PGA at Oak Hill in May, a course in cold upstate New York that should suit his eye.

It’s no surprise that he could become the first person since Jordan Spieth in 2015 to win the first two majors of the year.

And while we’re at it, the US Open is in Los Angeles and Ram loves the California Championships. Preempt ourselves – guilty as charged.

But this year’s continued Ram franchise is compelling. In Augusta, he hit 86% of fairways, 72% of greens in regulation and dominated the field from tee to green in all weathers.

He overhauled Koepka who raised the flag for the LIV round with an impressive 36-hole hole in which he hit 29 greens in regulation. The American exuded a cool, almost menacing confidence, but melted away on the longest Sundays.

However, his performance and that of veteran Mickelson along with Patrick Reed, who tied for fourth, helped give LIV three of the top six finishes.

The Saudi Arabia-funded separatist tour appears to include still relevant figures. The fact that the world’s best players come together in the four biggest tournaments greatly enhances the prestige of the major leagues.

Whatever happened, though, one course—even a great Masters tournament—was too small of a sample size to make blanket judgments on the quality of preparation provided by LIV’s 54-hole events.

Measuring this factor will be one of the attractions the next majors have, as well as charting the progress of the impressive Ram, which rightfully sits atop the golfing world.

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