Jon Rahm has won the Seve Ballesteros Award after being voted the 2021 Player of the Year by his fellow professionals on the DP World Tour, formerly known as the European Tour.
Rahm became the first Spanish player to win the US Open, and just the fourth player from his country to win any Major, when he finished one shot clear of Louis Oosthuizen at Torrey Pines Golf Course in June.
Jon Rahm won the 2021 US Open at Torrey Pines
Earlier in the year, Rahm finished tied fifth in the Masters and tied eighth at the US PGA Championship, and he extended his remarkable form in the Majors by finishing in a share of third in the Open Championship at Royal St Georges in July.
His impressive 2021 season also included a share of fifth in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and seventh place in the Scottish Open, while his statistics were equally notable on the PGA Tour, where he recorded 15 top-ten finishes.
Rahm also took his stunning individual form into September’s Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, where he finished as Europe’s leading points scorer with 3.5 points from his five matches. Three of those points came from his undefeated partnership with compatriot Sergio Garcia, which evoked memories of the legendary Spanish pairing of José María Olazábal and Seve Ballesteros.
Rahm also followed in the latter’s footsteps by returning to the top spot on the Official World Golf Ranking, spending more than six months at the summit of the game.
Rahm said: “Winning anything with Seve’s name on it is a huge honour for me, as is the fact that this is voted for by the players of the DP World Tour. It is very unique to be recognised by your peers like this. It is a true honour to be able to win this award for a second time and hopefully I can continue to make the DP World Tour proud.”
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour group, said: “In the first year of this being the Tour’s combined Player of the Year award named in honour of one Spanish great, it is fitting the winner is another incredible Spaniard who is creating his own remarkable legacy on the global stage. Jon’s form throughout 2021 was simply outstanding and his victory at the US Open, in front of his family, was undoubtedly a highlight that will live long in the memory. That cemented his place among the pantheon of Europe’s all-time leading players and his contribution in the colours of Europe at the Ryder Cup also demonstrated what an extraordinary competitor he is.”
The post Rahm wins Seve Ballesteros Award appeared first on Golf News.
Leave a comment