Inside Jon Rahm’s rocking first week as Masters champion

He caught up on sleep, played his way into the mix, and got a taste of a potential new career.

Jon Rahm had a very good first week as Masters champ.

Exhausted after a stop-and-go victory at Augusta National – he played 30 holes on Sunday, overcoming a four-shot deficit to start the day – Rahm could have been excused for going through the motions at the RBC Heritage. He was adamant about not doing so, saying he wanted to play hard for the fans who wanted to see the new Masters champ.

Then, after a predictably flat 72 in his first round at Harbour Town, he rallied, shooting 64-69-68 to finish T15.

“I can’t help but be proud of what I’ve done,” Rahm said after stuffing his approach shot to 20 inches to birdie the last hole Sunday. “…I know the expectations weren't really high to the public, but in my mind every time I tee it up, I’m going to try to do my best. After a shaky first round, to play as good as I have – I played really good on the weekend, I just didn’t make the putts, and give myself a chance to even get close to the top 10, it’s great.”

Fans at Harbour Town Golf Links bathed the new Masters champ in applause as he walked to the 18th green for his kick-in birdie. Rahm looked up and took it all in. Having gathered himself to post a finish befitting the world No. 1, and still on his green jacket honeymoon, his spirits were as high as the tournament’s traditional Boeing flyover.

“I didn’t really know what to expect … and how I was going to feel mentally and physically,” he said, “so I’m proud of the way I pulled through. I’m incredibly proud of finishing with a bogey-free Sunday on a very difficult golf course with that birdie on 18.

“Yeah, this is leaps past anything that I’ve felt before,” he continued. “Obviously when I go to Spain, I get ovations and I get moments like this in my home country. I don’t get to play there often. But to do it here on U.S. soil and see the recognition from the crowd and the kids, it only validates the decision to come here this week and make them really happy.”

Even more well-received was that, upon signing his card, Rahm spent nearly a half hour as a guest analyst with CBS, sitting beside Amanda Renner as the leaders played the back nine. When the network showed defending RBC Heritage champion Jordan Spieth, then cut away to Spieth giving the Masters champion a hug a week earlier, Rahm said, “He’s a class act.”

It takes one to know one.

Self-effacing but savvy, Rahm seemed to enjoy himself as an analyst. He grasped that he was there to talk, and did. What’s more, while he was adding to the show, his headset as natural as a Callaway cap, he didn’t even lose his top spot in the world ranking or FedExCup. Although Scottie Scheffler could have taken it back with a win or even a three-way T4 or better, depending on how Rahm finished, Scheffler shot a final-round 70 to finish 12 under, tied for 11th place.

Some of Rahm’s calls were better than others, and he laughed at himself for misstating Patrick Cantlay’s club and strategy after a gentle correction from on-course reporter Dottie Pepper.

“Well, see, I’m completely wrong,” Rahm said.

Jim Nantz asked him when he planned to celebrate his Masters win, and Rahm said his wife, Kelley, has been planning something at Silverleaf, his home club in Scottsdale, Arizona. He said he didn’t know exactly what it would look like but expected the party to commence Tuesday night.

“Most likely won’t be touching any clubs through Wednesday, maybe until Friday,” Rahm said. “We’ll see how the week unfolds, but it’s time to be home and it’s time to be dad.”

The way things have been going for your new Masters champ, you’d have to assume that dad life, the victory celebration, and maybe even the rest of this season will be pretty sweet, too.