Rahm Reaches No. 8 in OWGR, Among British Open Favorites

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After two consecutive missed-cuts, including at the U.S. Open at Erin Hills, fans did not know what to expect from Jon Rahm at this past weekend’s DDF Irish Open.

 
He responded by simply obliterating the field in Northern Ireland, cruising to a six-stroke victory. It was perhaps the most impressive performance of his incredible young career.

Among the tangible benefits: Rahm rose into the top 10 of the world rankings, leaping over Alex Noren, Rickie Fowler, and Brooks Koepka to world No. 8. Increased confidence in his game has had an impact on the sportsbooks as well, as Rahm now has the second best odds to win next week’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.


Bullets

  • Moving Up: After a six-stroke victory at the DDF Irish Open, where he set the tournament scoring record at -24, Rahm moved from 11th to 8th in the world rankings, a new high for the 22 Spaniard Sensation.
  • Huge Leap: Rahm was ranked No. 551 after the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont, but continued to climb rapidly. At the start of the 2017 calendar year, he had moved up to No. 125.
  • Betting Favorite: In the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook, Rahm’s odds of winning next week’s Open Championship have risen from 25/1 to 12/1 over the past week. Those 12/1 odds are tied with Jordan Spieth as the second best, trailing only the 10/1 odds on Dustin Johnson.
  • Major Experience: Rahm has played the Open Championship just once, finishing T59 last year. His best major showing was the T23 he had at the 2016 U.S. Open as an amateur.

Quotable

 
“I’ve been saying, I haven’t played my best golf and today, for 15 holes, I played the best golf I can ever play on the golf course with the weather that we had. Obviously the bonus of holing out on four was great. Man, this is a nice feeling.”
Jon Rahm, following his DDF Irish Open victory


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