#Jon Rahm wins hectic Memorial to claim No. 1 world ranking

DUBLIN, Ohio — Jon Rahm knew this was going to be a difficult day.

Maybe not this difficult.

Winning always is difficult.

Winning on a golf course that was set up to repel good shots with treacherous conditions that resembled a major championship can be a frightening proposition.

Knowing a win would elevate you to No. 1 in the world rankings at the tender age of 25 adds immense pressure.

And knowing the only other player from your home country who’s reached No. 1 in the world is your mentor, Seve Ballesteros, adds a tricky bit of emotion into the equation.

As expected, it was not an easy day for Rahm, but when it ended, he emerged as not only the Memorial Tournament champion, but ranked No. 1 in the world.

Rahm shot a final-round 3-over 75 to finish 9-under par and win the Memorial Tournament, holding off Ryan Palmer, who finished 6-under.

Rahm began the final round with a four-shot lead and, as he made the turn, the lead was eight shots.

And even then, his day was not easy.

He bogeyed the 10th hole and the lead was seven shots.

Then, after yanking his tee shot into the water on No. 11, Rahm took double bogey and the lead was down to four shots, half of what it was minutes before.

Rahm then made a sloppy bogey on No. 14, a short par-4 he should devour, and now his lead was down to three shots, where it would remain through the 15th hole.

Justin Thomas held a three-shot lead with three holes to play a week ago Sunday in the final round of the Workday Charity Open, which also was played at Muirfield Village Golf Club, and he lost to Collin Morikawa in a playoff.

So, it didn’t appear to be over … until the par-3 16th hole, where Rahm chipped in for birdie to extend the lead to four again.

Considering the circumstances, it was the biggest shot of Rahm’s career — a scramble that his idol, the late Ballesteros, would have loved given that he was the greatest scrambler in the history of the game.

Rahm let out a massive fist pump and yell. As he walked past his friend and playing partner Palmer, who gave Rahm a low five.

“It was exactly what I needed,’’ Rahm said. “This golf course is not piece of cake under best of conditions and we knew it was going to be brutally penalizing Sunday. I pulled off one of the best short-game shots I ever had. That was unbelievable. It was exactly what I needed.’’

At the time, it appeared to be a chip-in for birdie and a four-shot lead.

But wait, there would be more stress. TV cameras caught Rahm moving his ball ever so slightly in the rough with his wedge as he placed it behind the ball before chipping in.

As the players played on not knowing the situation, PGA Tour rules officials scoured the videotape to determine whether a penalty should be assessed.

Fortunately for Rahm, Palmer bogeyed 17 to fall five shots back. So when Rahm was given a two-shot penalty when he signed his scorecard, it did not affect the outcome.

Instead of winning by five shots as it appeared when he and Palmer finished on No. 18, he won by three shots.

Rahm said afterward, he had no idea he moved his ball before the chip.

“Not at all,’’ he said. “I did not see or feel anything. Had I seen anything, I would have said so. If it did [move], if it’s penalty, it still doesn’t take anything away from the shot. It’s not going to take anything away from today.’’

Rahm overtook Rory McIlroy for the No. 1 ranking, which he’d held since Feb. 9.

When it was over, Rahm was greeted on No. 18 by tournament host Jack Nicklaus, who gave him a fist bump instead of the traditional handshake.

“I’m just trying to be like you,’’ Rahm told Nicklaus.

The Memorial not only was Rahm’s fourth career PGA Tour victory, it was his biggest.

He’d won the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open, the 2018 CareerBuilder Challenge and he teamed with Palmer to win the 2019 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

“Jon Rahm is a remarkable talent, and you’re seeing it,’’ Phil Mickelson said. “He drives it long, drives it straight, good iron play, good wedge player, great putter. He just doesn’t have a weakness.’’