Jon Rahm, best player of the season in the U.S.

The Biscayan Jon Rahm continues to write his history in amateur golf overcoming stages and reaching heights destined to the best golfers in the world; the last one, receiving the Ben Hogan Award, the award that recognizes him as the player of the year in the United States Collegiate League.

In a ceremony held in Fort Worth (Texas), the National Teams player was awarded the prize after beating American Maverick McNealy and Taiwanese Cheng-Tsung Pan in the voting. He has thus become the first European golfer to be crowned player of the year (according to the criteria in force since 2002).

This award, which Jon Rahm -Number one in the World Amateur Ranking- has been won by players with a successful subsequent professional career, with Bill Haas (2004) or Rickie Fowler (2008) as clear exponents.

In addition, with his recent good results, Rahm has established himself as one of the most important players in the history of Arizona State University. In fact, with seven titles, he is the third golfer with the most victories, still far from Phil Mickelson’s 16.

In what so far has been his only appearance in the professional PGA, his performance followed the same line, obtaining a surprising fifth place in the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale (Arizona) and being surpassed only by Brooks Koepka, Bubba Watson, Ryan Palmer and Hideki Matsuyama.

Determined to be the number one in the world (as he made clear a few months ago in an interview in RFEGolf magazine), Jon Rahm is a player who already has a spectacular track record. Last July he rounded off at the RCG Las Palmas, with the title of Absolute Spanish champion, an intense, full and increasingly satisfactory relationship with respect to the Spanish Championships of the different categories, a twinning that began in 2009 at cadet age, which continued in 2010 as best U18 and Junior -a double title that he conquered again in 2012- and which he then doubled with the victory in the aforementioned Absolute Spanish Championship.

In addition, Jon Rahm starred in 2014 in two great performances in two top-level choral events: in the European Absolute Team Championship, where Spain was proclaimed champion; and in the World Cup in Japan, where Spain was third and the Basque was the best player of the tournament.

An award that coincides with his seventh win

This award coincides in time with his seventh victory in the United States. The former Blume National School player won this week’s University League Regionals with a tremendously solid performance. A 64 on the second day was the unbalancing factor in this new success.

Jon Rahm signed 206 strokes, two less than Oklahoma players Michael Gellerman and Max McGreevy, his closest pursuers. A first round of 73 put him in the noble zone, but it was the 64 of the second round that left him in a position to take the path to victory. With a 69 he finished the week at The Farms Golf Club (San Diego, California).

The NCAA final, which Arizona State has reached with this victory, will be held at The Concession Golf Club course (Bradenton, Florida) from May 29 to June 1.

Arizona State players with the most wins

Phil Mickelson (1988-92), 16

Billy Mayfair (1984-88), 8

Jon Rahm (2012-Present), 7

Alejandro Canizares (2002-06), 6

Charlie Gibson (1972-75), 6

Paul Casey (1997-2000), 6

Jon Rahm wins at Arizona State

NCAA San Diego Regional (2015)

ASU Thunderbird Invitational (2015)

Duck Invitational (2015)

Bill Cullum Invitational (2014)