Jon Rahm running over the PGA Tour with Genesis Invitational win

Can Jon Rahm be stopped? The Spaniard continued his dominance of the PGA Tour by adding his third title of the season at the Genesis Invitational on Sunday

Like snow on a crisp winter morning, Jon Rahm and winning seem inevitable.

Rahm continued his incredible run atop the golf world on Sunday, winning the Genesis Invitational at Riviera by two shots over Max Homa and once again ascending to the top of the World Golf Rankings. The win was Rahm’s third already in the 2023 PGA Tour season, something no one had done this early since Johnny Miller in 1975.

In a tournament that prominently featured the return of Tiger Woods to competition, Rahm’s record is beginning to conjure images of Tiger’s prime. He’s won three times over his last five PGA Tour starts. Including worldwide events, he’s won five of his last nine tournaments. He hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in a regular stroke-play event since the Open Championship seven months ago. Rahm has already earned nearly $10 million in prize money after winning for the second time in three tries at the PGA Tour’s new “elevated” events.

What made this tournament unique, aside from the history of the course and the atmosphere created by the massive galleries that came out to catch a glimpse of Woods, was that Rahm often didn’t play his best this week and still beat a field that featured 19 of the top 20 players in the world, and 23 of the top 25. He ranked only 35th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee as he battled a hook with his driver, consistently missing tee shots to the left. He hit just 41 percent of his fairways this week, 63rd out of the 68 players to make the cut.

Still, after 54 holes, Rahm found himself in a now-familiar situation: at the top of the leaderboard, three shots ahead of the hometown hero Homa. But he made a mess of the 10th hole on Sunday, taking four shots to hit the green on the short par-four and making a bogey. He failed to birdie the par-five 11th after chipping far past the pin, smashing his wedge on the ground in frustration. Rahm then three-putt for another bogey on the 12th as Homa passed him for the lead.

Rahm responded by holing a 46-foot putt from the back of the 14th green for a birdie. At the par-three 16th, Rahm took out an eight-iron and took dead aim at the flag. “Be the freaking number,” he pleaded to his ball as it sailed through the California air. It settled within three feet of the cup and led to another birdie as Rahm retook the lead for good. He finished at 17-under for the tournament after a final-round 69.

Rahm’s run bringing back memories of Tiger’s peak

Rahm has made winning seem routine this season. After his first major win at the 2021 U.S. Open, Rahm won just once over the next 18 months. Winning was hard back then; now it’s almost expected out of the most dominant player in the world. At his peak, Woods was capable of long stretches when the rest of the field was playing for second, although he has never won at Riviera or the tournament he now hosts. Rahm is on one of those Tiger-like runs right now.

“I’m aware of the magnitude of this moment and this golf course. I’ve never had three PGA Tour wins in a season, and to do it this early on is incredible,” Rahm said following his win. “And to do it at this golf course. Talk about the history of Riviera as a golf course. Talk about the history of Tiger Woods as a player. Those two combined and this tournament, it’s a pretty big deal.”

With another trophy to add to his collection, Rahm passed legendary countryman Seve Ballesteros with his 10th PGA Tour win. He’s still just 28 years old and playing better than he’s ever had.

Homa, who had the best look at Rahm’s dominance over the last two days, compared him after his round to Thanos, the Marvel villain who only has to snap his fingers to defeat his rivals. Winning on the PGA Tour isn’t supposed to be that easy, but Rahm is making it look so for him.