CLICK HERE FOR FINAL SCORES:#ArizonaState junior Jon Rahm broke Jack's 54-year-old Eisenhower Trophy record today at the World Team... http://t.co/7WiUnztrNC
— Jack Nicklaus (@jacknicklaus) September 13, 2014
Junior and @ASUMensGolf two-time honorable mention All-American Jon Rahm simply would not be denied. With a chance to win the Eisenhower Trophy given to the medalist of the World Team Amateur, and with more than 200 competitors, Rahm came up big.
How good was his play in Japan? His 23-under 263 (70-64-62-67) broke the record of 269 set by Jack Nicklaus (66-67-68-68) at Merion G.C. (east Course), in Ardmore, Pa., in 1960.
WORLD AMATEUR FINAL SCORES
-23/263, Jon Rahm, Spain (70-64-62-67)
-20/266, Herbert Lucas, Australia (69-64-67-66)
-20/266, Victor Perez, France (69-65-66-66)
-20/266, Alejandro Tosti, Argentina (68-67-64-67)
He shot a 23-under 263 which finished with a 67 in the final round. Rahm shot a 62 in the third round to take the lead heading into the final round after shooting a 64 in the second round and a 70 in the first round at two courses. Rahm had 26 birdies, one eagle, 40 pars and just five bogeys in the tournament, but had just one bogey in the final three rounds.
His best round was Thursday (third rond), as he posted 12 birdies and one eagle in the first two rounds, but in the third round had six straight birdies on the back nine (holes 10 through 15) and in one stretch had nine birdies in 12 holes and eight birdies in nine holes.
The World Amateur Championships had 69 countries vying for the 29th title and the coveted Eisenhower Troph trophy. Max Rottluff (Germany) and Rahm (Spain) are the newest Sun Devils to represent their countries at the World Amateur, as both joined the notable list of Sun Devil golf alumni at the event.
SUN DEVILS WHO HAVE COMPETED IN THE WORLD AMATEUR
2010-James Byrne and Jesper Kennegard
2008-Jesper Kennegard, Stephan Gross and Knut Borsheim
2006-Benjamin Alvarado, Niklas Lemke and Knut Borsheim
2004-Benjamin Alvarado
2002-Niklas Lemke and Benjamin Alvarado
2000-Paul Casey, Kurt Mayr and Jeff Quinney
1994-Todd Demsey
1990-Phil Mickelson
Rahm has earned honorable mention PING All-America honors in 2013-14 by the GCAA for the second time in his two-year career. He won the 2014 ASU Thunderbird Invitational in March with a record-breaking 21-under 192 and led the nation for the second straight year with 12 eagles after notching NCAA-best nine in his freshman season. He will enter his junior season of 2014-15 with three tournament wins, a 71.13 stroke average in 27 career events and 31 rounds in the 60s. The Spaniard has posted par or better in 47 of 83 career rounds.
This past season his 70.84 stroke average was the best by a Sun Devil since Niklas Lemke shot 70.03 in 2006-07. He also averaged 3.06 on par-three scoring, best by a Sun Devil since Chez Reavie averaged 3.05 in 2003-04. He earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2013-14 and was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2012-13. He shot a NCAA Championship opening-round record of 61 on May 28, 2013.
Rottluff has played in 22 events in his two-year career and has a 72.43 stroke average including 72.16 this past season. He finished second at the Prestige at PGA West with an 8-under 205 (69-69-67) and also tied for eighth at the ASU Thunderbird with a 4-under 209 (70-70-69).