Jon Rahm follows in Seve Ballesteros' footsteps with memorable Masters victory

Jon Rahm secured a fairytale Masters Tournament victory 40 years on from his hero Seve Ballesteros' second win at Augusta National Golf Club, becoming a two-time Major Champion in memorable fashion.

The Spaniard emulated his countryman Ballesteros on what would have been his 66th birthday, as Rahm hunted down third-round leader Brooks Koepka before cruising to a four-shot victory to earn his first Green Jacket and a fifth top-ten finish in seven visits to Augusta.

World Number Three Rahm, who was among the pre-tournament favourites, overcame plenty of adversity on his route to victory, having started the week by four-putting the first hole on Thursday.

And after a series of weather delays on Friday and Saturday, he had to complete 30 holes on Sunday - starting the day four shots behind Koepka.

Rahm, the 2021 U.S. Open Champion, had cut that gap in half by the time the pair finished their delayed third rounds in the morning.

And he made further inroads when round four started in the afternoon, wiping out the deficit inside four holes before taking a two-shot lead into the back nine.

Brilliant back-to-back birdies at the 13th and 14th gave Rahm a four-shot buffer and he parred his way home to sign for a closing 69 and finish the tournament on 12 under par.

Koepka finished in a tie for second on eight under alongside fellow American Phil Mickelson.

Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed and Russell Henley were in a tie for fourth on seven under, one ahead of Norway's Viktor Hovland and American Cameron Young.

Rahm started the fourth round with a good par save after missing the green at the first before pulling to within a shot of the lead with a ten-foot birdie on the third.

The 28-year-old was unable to convert his 24-foot birdie putt on the fourth but took a share of the lead anyway as Koepka failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker for par at the same hole.

Koepka dropped another shot on the par-three sixth, and with Rahm successfully saving par despite also missing the green, he grabbed the outright lead.

Rahm missed a good birdie chance on the seventh but made no mistake from close range at the eighth - having hit a sublime pitch from the front of the green to tap-in distance to get to 11 under and open up a two-stroke lead.

He remained two in front at the turn after both he and Koepka missed their par putts on the ninth, but that bogey opened the door to a star-studded chasing pack.

After sending two lengthy birdie putts close on the 11th and 12th, Rahm got his first back-nine birdie at the par-five 13th following a brilliant drive.

And he curled his approach at the 14th to four feet for another birdie, extending his lead to four shots.

Pars followed at the 15th, 16th and 17th before Rahm wrapped up a four-shot win on the 18th - despite his drive going just 193 yards after hitting a tree - and was joined on the green by his family.

Before being presented with his Green Jacket by last year's winner Scottie Scheffler, Rahm said: "History of the game is a big part of why I play and one of the reasons why I play - and Seve being one of them. 

"If it wasn't for that Ryder Cup in '97 (at Valderrama Golf Club) - my dad and I talk about it all the time - we don't know where I would be or where as a family we would be.

"For me to get it done on the 40th anniversary of his win, his (Ballesteros') birthday, on Easter Sunday, it's incredibly meaningful. 

"To finish it off the way I did - an unusual par, very much a Seve par - it was in a non-purposeful way, a testament to him, and I know he was pulling for me today, and it was a great Sunday."

Speaking about his final round, Rahm added: "I thought the eighth was a key birdie. I didn't expect that bogey on the ninth.

"I had to get through Amen Corner level par. That's what I was looking at.

"Obviously Phil (Mickelson) and Jordan (Spieth) were making birdies and finishing strong, and they were finishing their rounds as we were finishing the tenth.

"Making sure I didn't put myself in a difficult spot on ten, 11 and 12 was the key, and then 13 with that right-to-left wind is when I could turn a little bit and get on the attack, and that's what I did."