For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Monday morning, golf fans, and as Jon Rahm basks in the glory of being the 2023 Masters champion.

1. Rahm conquers Augusta

ESPN Report…“Jon Rahm kept hearing how he was destined to win this Masters because so many Spanish stars were aligned in his favor.”

• Sunday would have been the 66th birthday of the late Seve Ballesteros, Rahm’s idol and inspiration for playing. This year was the 40-year anniversary of the second Masters title Ballesteros won. If that wasn’t enough, caddie Adam Hayes was assigned white coveralls with No. 49 — April 9.

• “I was told a lot of things about why this could be the year,” Rahm said, looking smart as ever in his new green jacket. “And I just didn’t want to buy into it too much.”

2. Koepka: LIV stars not washed up

Mark Schlabach for ESPN…”Koepka, a four-time major championship winner, came up short Sunday, losing to Spain’s Jon Rahm by 4 strokes. Koepka tied for second with three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson, another LIV Golf captain, who carded a 7-under 65 in the final round to finish 8 under.”

• “LIV Golf member Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, tied for fourth at 7 under.”

• “We’re still the same people,” said Koepka, who missed the cut in his two previous Masters starts while recovering from a serious knee injury. “So I mean, I know if I’m healthy, I know I can compete. I don’t think any of the guys that played this event thought otherwise, either. When Phil plays good, we know he’s going to compete. Reed, the same thing.

• “I think that’s just manufactured by the media that we can’t compete anymore; that we are washed up.”

3. Rahm’s quiet driver change

PGATour.com’s Sean Martin…”He is using the same type of driver head as at the start of the year – a 10.5-degree Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond – but switched into a different head and changed the hosel setting from NS to NS+1, which adds a degree of loft to the head. The increased spin from the added loft brought back Rahm’s preferred shot shape. The team at Callaway brought Rahm several different heads to help him find one that didn’t look too closed with the added loft.”

• “In his first round with the new club, Rahm missed just one fairway over the final nine holes of his opening 71 at TPC Sawgrass.”

• “We knew we were in a good spot, and then it was a bummer because he got sick,” Davidson said Thursday. “Last week, he was working with (instructor) David Phillips, and they had some unbelievable sessions. I think he shot 60 … last week in Scottsdale. We knew coming into this week that he was scoring well.”

4 Tiger’s worrisome injury

5. Did Jim Nantz make a LIV Golf joke?

Gabrielle Herzig for Sports Illustrated…”Koepka was forced to lay up on the par-5, leaving his third shot in the crosswalk that spans the 15th fairway. As the four-time major champion approached his shot, Nantz made a subtle, but genius joke about LIV Golf’s TV deal.”

• “There it is right on the CW … the crosswalk,” Nantz said.

• “The context: LIV Golf is broadcasted on the CW Network.”

6. Sam Bennett’s Dick’s run

Greg Gottfried for Golf Digest…”Despite all of that, the weather might end up being the thing we remember most. It’s been so brutal that it forced Sam Bennett to make a run to the local Dick’s Sporting Goods after the third round was suspended on Saturday.”

• “After a subpar ending to his third round, Bennett admitted that he was taken aback by the low temps and grueling conditions to start the weekend. So much so that the amateur needed to buy some new clothes to prepare for the end of the third round and final round on Sunday.”

• “Yesterday I had to go to Dick’s and get some warmer clothes, some Under Armours with the weather,” Bennett said.

7. Why the “5” incident wasn’t a penalty

Dan Wetzel for Yahoo Sports…”Koepka’s argument that he was just taking off his glove is suspicious. You can certainly remove a golf glove without fully outstretching your fingers. That said, he might have just wanted to do it that way at the time. It could be a coincidence.”

• “A lack of hard evidence, though, makes the case too much for the Masters to convict anyone. It looks sketchy, but it might not be. Taking two strokes away in a major championship should require more than that.”

• “Following the completion of Brooks Koepka’s round, the committee questioned his caddie and others in the group about a possible incident on No. 15,” the Masters said in a statement. “All involved were adamant that no advice was given or requested.”

• “Consequently, the committee determined that there was no breach of the rules.”

8. Koepka rips pace of play on Sunday

Gabrielle Herzig for Sports Illustrated…”Both members of the final pairing—Brooks Koepka and eventual Masters champion Jon Rahm—are typically some of the faster players in professional golf.”

• “On Sunday at Augusta National, the pace of play wasn’t exactly speedy, and Koepka didn’t shy away from pointing that out in his post-round press conference.”

• “A reporter posed the question to the LIV Golf member: “You’re a pretty fast player, as we know. Curious your thoughts on pace of play this afternoon?”

• “The four-time major champion’s response: “Yeah, the group in front of us was brutally slow. Jon went to the bathroom like seven times during the round, and we were still waiting.”

9. Winning WITB: Jon Ram

Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees @11.3)

Shaft: Aldila Tour Green ATX 75 2.8 TX

3-wood: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond T (High Launch, 16 degrees @15.1)

Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 X

5-wood: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond T (18 degrees)

Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 X

Irons: Callaway Apex TCB (4-PW)

Shafts: Project X 125 6.5 (4-PW)

Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (52-10, 56-12 @55.25, 60-10)

Shafts: Project X 125 6.5

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG Rossie S

Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X

Grips: Golf Pride MCC midsize