Who won the Masters in 2023? Jon Rahm became champion before LIV Golf defection

Only three golfers have won back-to-back Masters tournaments at Augusta: Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods. Jon Rahm is hoping to become the fourth.

The 2023 Masters winner will be in the field in 2024 as he looks to do something that hasn't been done since 2002, when a Tiger Woods in the midst of his first prime won golf's first major of the season for the second time in a row. Rahm, who shot a 12-under 276 for the weekend, beat out Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka (8-under 280) for his first green jacket.

This year, it won't get any easier. Rahm will find himself up against Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, and many more of golf's best as he looks for his third career major win.

Rahm, who went on to join LIV Golf later in 2023 despite previously pledging himself to the PGA Tour, is suspended from the PGA Tour for his defection to the controversial league. However, he is able to play at Augusta thanks to The Masters' eligibility rules.

Here's what to know about the defending champion at Augusta.

Who won the Masters in 2023?

Spanish golfer Jon Rahm is the defending Masters champion, making him the second non-USA-born golfer in three years to don the green jacket (2021 winner Hideki Matsuyama was born in Ehime prefecture in Japan).

Rahm held off LIV golfers Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson to win his first Masters, capping off an utterly torrid start to his season. Koepka entered the final round with the lead while Mickelson came in 10 strokes off pace, putting Rahm in the Goldilocks position to pull off a Sunday victory.

He shot 3-under 69 in the final round whereas Koepka shot 3-over 75, giving Rahm a four-stroke victory. Mickelson, meanwhile, shot 7-under 65 on Sunday to work his way into a tie for second on the leaderboard.

“Hard to put it into words," Rahm said after his win, per Golf Digest. "Obviously we all dream of things like this as players, and you try to visualize what it's going to be like and what it's going to feel like. And when I hit that third shot on the green [at the 18th], and I could tell it was close by the crowd's reaction, just the wave of emotion of so many things just overtook me. Never thought I was going to cry by winning a golf tournament, but I got very close on that 18th hole."

Jon Rahm's Masters scorecard in 2023

Rahm had a phenomenal first two days at Augusta before a lackluster third round threatened his position atop the leaderboard.

After entering the final day two strokes back of leader Brooks Koepka, Koepka's struggles on Sunday opened the door for Rahm, who ultimately won the day and the tournament. Par at Augusta National is 72 for the day, and 288 for the weekend.

• Round 1: 7-under 65

• Round 2: 3-under 69

• Round 3: 1-over 73

• Round 4: 3-under 69

• Total: 12-under 276

Is Jon Rahm playing in 2024 Masters?

Despite not playing on PGA Tour, Rahm will be participating in the 2024 Masters.

Rahm defected to LIV Golf in December 2023, which led to his immediate suspension from PGA Tour events. The Masters, however, operates as an independent body, and has its own suite of rules for eligibility. One of those rules is automatic tournament participation for life thanks to his 2023 victory.

Rahm isn't the only golfer from LIV who is eligible. Other LIV golfers who will be in field include Koepka, Joaquin Niemann, Cameron Smith, and Mickelson, among others.

Why did Jon Rahm join LIV Golf?

Rahm, who decried LIV Golf upon the breakout league's inception, joined the Saudi-backed league on Dec. 7, 2023.

"To be honest, part of the (LIV) format is not really appealing to me," Rahm said in 2022, per NBC Sports. "Shotgun three days to me is not a golf tournament, no cut. It’s that simple. I want to play against the best in the world in a format that’s been going on for hundreds of years. That’s what I want to see."

Upon joining LIV, Rahm has performed an about-face.

“I’d say there was two instances," Rahm said of his change of heart on GOLF.com's "Breakthrough." "I think dynamics started to change and there was a lot of division at that time. And yes, for me to want to change, there had to be reasons beyond the money, right? So when I said that I fully meant it and it was true. Now, when they slap you with a large amount of money in your face, your feelings do change. I try not to be a materialistic person, but I do owe it to my family as well to set them up for success the best I can, and having kids I think changed that quite a bit. So the money is a part of it; I’m not going to lie. But again, when I said that I wasn’t fully aware of what I was saying because you don’t really understand.”

In summation, the move largely came down to money.

Jon Rahm Masters menu

One of the revered traditions of the Masters is the Champion's Dinner, in which winners of the famed event gather to eat a menu curated by the previous year's victor.

Rahm's Champions Dinner menu was released in March, and it pays homage to his home country of Spain. Options on the menu include, per Golf.com:

Truly a dinner befitting a champion.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who won the Masters 2023? Jon Rahm became champion before LIV Golf move