Angel Hidalgo Outlasts Jon Rahm to Win Spanish Open Title

Angel Hidalgo has earned his first European tour victory.

The 26-year-old Spanish professional golfer birdied the second playoff hole to beat Jon Rahm and win the Spanish Open on Sunday.

Angel HidalgoHidalgo had missed a short birdie putt at the same 18th hole to allow fellow Spaniard Rahm into the playoff, giving the two-time major champion a chance to become the first player to win four Spanish Open titles.

Rahm had birdied the final two holes of his round at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.

“Insane, absolutely insane,” Hidalgo said. “It was weird because I was pretty relaxed all day, even when I missed this short putt on Hole 72.”

After Hidalgo pushed his putt wide, the players were back on the 18th for the first playoff hole. Rahm went over the green with his drive, chipped close and rolled in his birdie putt. Hidalgo did not miss his short attempt for birdie this time.

Back on the 18th, Hidalgo just missed the green and Rahm went left. Rahm had a poor chip and went over the green, while Hidalgo put it close again and drained the putt to take his first victory.

Hidalgo, who had never finished in the top three in 79 previous European tour events, came into the final round with a two-shot lead over Rahm. Hidalgo shot a 1-under 70 after making three bogeys in his first six holes for a 14-under 270 overall.

Rahm, the former No. 1, finished with a 3-under 68 and seven birdies, including three of his final five holes. He also had two bogeys and a double bogey.

He had trailed by five shots heading into Saturday. He arrived late in the Spanish capital after the birth of his third child.

Rahm won the LIV individual title and was back in Europe to try to reach the minimum of four European tour starts required to be considered for the Ryder Cup next year. He’s being allowed to play after appealing the European tour sanctions against him for playing the LIV circuit.

Jon Rahm Wins Third Career Open de España Title

Jon Rahm is a national champion once again…

The 27-year-old Spanish professional golfer won the Open de España by six shots to match Seve Ballesteros‘ record of winning three national titles.

The world No. 6 led Australia’s Min Woo Lee by one shot heading into the final round at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, but cruised to victory with a final-round 62, the lowest round of the week.

Rahm, who won the event in 2018 and 2019, finished six shots clear of second-placed Matthieu Pavon.

Asked how special the victory was, Rahm told Sky Sports: “You might need to ask me in a few days because I take quite a while to process these things.

“It was the goal coming in; Seve is a great hero of mine and to do something he took his whole career to do in just a few years is quite humbling, I’m not going to lie.

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“I understand it might not be the strongest field I play all year but sometimes these can be the hardest to win. I’m at home, I’m supposed to win, everybody is betting on me to win and to come out and play a Sunday like I just did is hard to describe.

“It’s my lowest score out here, it was pretty much a perfect week. The only thing that would make it better is if my wife and kids were here but I have a lot of family here that I don’t see throughout the year to celebrate with.

“It’s emotional. Going up the 18th hole I knew what was about to happen and to get it done like that, I can’t describe it.”

Rahm took a one-shot lead into the final round and quickly doubled his advantage with a birdie on the second, before picking up further shots on the sixth and seventh.

Playing partner Min Woo Lee kept up the pressure and closed to within a shot thanks to a birdie on the sixth and an eagle on the par-five seventh, only for Rahm to pull away with birdies on the ninth and 11th.

A bogey on the 12th briefly halted Rahm’s momentum but he responded with a birdie on the next and then almost made an albatross on the par-five 14th, his approach from 208 yards hitting the pin and finishing just five feet from the hole.

The resulting eagle put the result beyond any doubt and Rahm signed off in style with birdies on the 17th and 18th, while Pavon’s flawless closing 65 secured his third runners-up finish on the DP World Tour.

Lee finished a shot behind Pavon in third, with Ryder Cup vice-captain Edoardo Molinari and Zander Lombard two strokes further back in a tie for fourth.

Rahm’s win will take the 27-year-old from sixth to fifth in the world rankings.