Jon Rahm's US Open victory at Torrey Pines is reward for mature approach

Jon Rahm has revealed how European greats Sir Nick Faldo and Padraig Harrington helped him find the right mindset to land his first major at a thrilling US Open at Torrey Pines.

It was an epic victory that rewarded patience and composure, two qualities not always associated with the combustible Spaniard. Rahm now sits at the top of the world rankings after outlasting most of the leading names in the game.

This will be one of those majors that will be long remembered for the quality of golf it demanded and for the way it delivered drama and karma in equal measure.

A fortnight ago Rahm had the sympathy of the sporting world, thwarted by a positive Covid test as he held a commanding six stroke advantage after 54 holes of the Memorial tournament in Ohio.

As he headed into isolation he received comforting words from European Ryder Cup captain Harrington, who was the first person outside Rahm's family to make contact.

"It was right away when I was in the isolation trailer," Rahm revealed. "He told me a story in which he was leading by five after 54 holes, signed the wrong scorecard, and got disqualified.

"He said he got a lot more from that instance, he learned a lot more than he would ever learn from the win."

The next day one of the Harrington's predecessors as Ryder Cup skipper reached out. "Nick Faldo texted me the next morning and told me a story of how he was winning a tournament," Rahm added.

"He was leading by six with six holes to go and got disqualified, as well, and how he learned from that and got a win the week after."

These messages helped put Rahm in the correct frame of mind for a major, that given his affection for San Diego, he had long earmarked as the most likely to herald his breakthrough on the most elevated level of golf's stratosphere.

"I believe from the biggest setbacks we can get some of the biggest breakthroughs, and that's why I stayed so positive," he said.

"That's why I kept telling Kelley (his wife), when she was devastated about what happened and my family and everybody around me, something good is going to come."

He felt it again in a four under par final-round 67 in which for long periods it seemed he could not buy a putt. Then he curled in exhilarating efforts for birdies on the last two greens to snatch the trophy and prompt dramatic fist-pumping celebrations.

"I had in mind Padraig and Nick when I was out there on the golf course a couple times knowing that they won shortly after, and I knew it was my day," the 26 year old said.

This was the same player who slumped into a tempestuous funk during what felt a prosaic top-10 finish at last month's US PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.

He hung around to see his great friend Phil Mickelson become the oldest major winner with his brother Tim, Rahm's former coach and agent, on the bag. The brothers returned the complement on Sunday.

Little did Rahm know the twists and turns his life would take after finishing eighth at that PGA. Now it seems Covid, from which he suffered only mild symptoms, was a blessing.

"I feel like it relaxed me a little bit," Rahm said. "Ever since the Sunday at the PGA, I felt a bit of a shift on the golf course mentally.

"I still had that grit, but almost like each miss bothered me less. I couldn't tell you why.

"I believe it's because I really set out myself to be an example for my son that he would be proud of, and I've done some stuff in the past on the golf course that I'm not proud of, and I wish I could eliminate it."

Rahm is convinced he has emerged from a turning point that has put him on a more positive path. "I'm not saying it's going to be smooth sailing until the end, but I feel like that Sunday of the PGA changed things a little bit," he added.

"My mental game was really good, and it was the same thing at Memorial. Mentally, I was really, really well, and that's what allowed me to play such good golf.

"It followed into this week. In the past I've got frustrated in the US Open. I've made a lot of birdies and a ton of bogeys and double bogeys."

Rahm's victory means Europe will have at least one reigning major winner in its team for the Ryder Cup defence at Whistling Straits in September.

More immediately golf can reflect on a US Open that was brilliantly staged and yielded a fabulous winner. Both the United States Golf Association and Torrey Pines have received plenty of criticism over time.

The USGA often find themselves at the centre of controversy for unfairly penal course set ups and rules interpretations, while the San Diego course has a spectacular setting but many of the holes can lack inspiration.

But last week they were brought to life with a nigh on perfect US Open set up that rewarded great play yet still wore away at mental fortitude.

It is no coincidence that at one stage all of the top six players in the world, as well as the likes of seasoned major winners such as Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy, were in the hunt for the title.

One by one Torrey Pines weeded out the chasing pack, with Louis Oosthuizen the last to succumb by driving into a penalty area off the 71st tee. At the last he found a lie that in the rough that precluded an attempt to find the par-five green in two.

With an eagle required to force a play-off, some might say he should have been more ambitious but what is the point in trying for the impossible?

"Torrey Pines was a superstar," England's Paul Casey noted after finishing tied seventh. "But you can still set it up badly if you're not careful, and they didn't. It was a great championship."

McIlroy finished on the same one under par mark as Casey after a dogged effort in a closing 73. The Northern Irishman is playing better - he is now back in the world's top 10 - and seemed much closer to finding his best form when he most needed it.

His three putts at the 11th were costly and he suffered horrible luck with the lies he found around the green when he double bogeyed the next. That is what can happen at a US Open - he did not choke.

And ultimately one man was able to go out and win it. Rahm was always going to claim a major and there will surely be more to come after this spectacular success.

To illustrate his growing maturity, he spoke with eloquence and perspective in his winning speech, acknowledging that Covid has done far worse things than preventing him from winning a PGA Tour title.

And in a golfing context he has done something that proved beyond compatriot greats such as Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal by becoming the first Spaniard to win a USGA title.

"In my little way, I made Spanish history and hopefully proved a lot of people wrong as well," he concluded.