He cradled his 3-month-old son, Kepa, as he walked off the 18th green at Torrey Pines on Father’s Day.
Rahm made a bending, 25-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to catch Louis Oosthuizen.
Trailing by a shot, Oosthuizen drove into the canyon left of the 17th fairway for a bogey that left him 2 shots behind, and then he missed the fairway on the par-5 18th, which prevented him from going for the green for a look at eagle to force a playoff.
“I’m playing good golf, but winning a major championship is not just going to happen.
He had a 6-shot lead at the Memorial after 54 holes, only to be notified as he walked off the 18th green at Muirfield Village that he had a positive COVID-19 test and had to withdraw.
But a series of ill-timed bogeys gave him a 44 on the back nine for a 77 on the day.
Mackenzie Hughes, 1 shot behind going to the back nine, had his tee shot on the par-3 11th bounce off a cart path and get stuck in a tree, leading to a double bogey that ended his chances.
With a chance to end his seven-year drought in the majors, McIlroy made a careless three-putt for bogey on the 11th when he was 1 shot behind, and then caught a bad lie in the bunker that led to double bogey on No.
Brooks Koepka got within 1 shot of the lead — it was so close that 10 players were separated by a single shot during one point in the final round — until he made a pair of bogeys coming in for a 69.
What a perfect place — La Jolla, which reminds him of his home in the Basque region of Spain, the site of his first PGA Tour victory, where he proposed to his wife.
“I’m a big believer in karma, and after what happened a couple weeks ago, I stayed really positive knowing good things were coming,” Rahm said.