Jon Rahm matches his hero Seve Ballesteros with third Spanish Open victory

Jon Rahm and Eugenio Chacarra put on remarkable exhibitions of skills and resilience to chalk up a pair of Spanish victories on Sunday, but their triumphs were defined more by the difference in their resonance.

While Rahm became the first player since his and his nation’s golfing icon, Seve Ballesteros, to win the Spanish Open on three occasions, Chacarra’s triumph at LIV Bangkok saw him pick up more than £4 million on just his fifth professional start – a scenario even the Great Conquistador himself would not have been able to imagine.

“You might need to ask me in a few days as I will take quite a while to process this thing,” Rahm said after his 62 in Madrid took him to 25-under and a six-shot win over Frenchman Matthieu Pavon. “Seve is a great hero of mine and to do something it took him his whole career to do in just a few years is quite humbling.

“I understand it might not be the strongest field I play all year, but sometimes that is the hardest to win. I am at home, I am supposed to win, everybody is betting on me to win, so to come out and play a Sunday like this is hard to describe. My lowest round out here, my lowest score out here. It was pretty much a perfect week.”

Rahm went home with £260,00 for his four days’ work, while Chacarra collected £4.25m for just three. The 22-year-old joined the Saudi-funded circuit straight from college in July and has wasted little time in justifying his status when he was in the amateur ranks as a future multi-millionaire. Chacarra’s best finish in his previous four LIV events was 24th, but this was a front-running masterclass.

He opened with a 65, followed up by a fearless 63 and survived weather delays and fended off a charging Patrick Reed in the final round to shoot a 69 and finish on 19-under to beat the American by three shots, with England’s Paul Casey in third one further shot behind.

“It’s great. What LIV Golf is doing for golf and for everyone is something that I couldn’t react and I couldn’t be more proud to be here,” Chacarra said. “I’m learning a lot. I’m playing with the best players in the world, and that’s what I’ve wanted to do since I was little and I’m learning from each of them in particular these guys by my side.

“I’m still dreaming. I feel like it was yesterday when I went to Madrid to watch the [2010] Spanish Open and watch  Sergio Garcia] play golf and just seeing him as an idol. He’s a Spanish idol for a long time. He’s been on tour 23 years, so I’m just trying to learn as much as I can from him, and I think I’m in a good spot.’”