Golf star Jon Rahm exorcized his Memorial Tournament Covid-19 anguish at the US Open in a triumphant return – and hugely-followed pundit Paige Spiranac, who tipped him behind Bryson DeChambeau, took no prisoners as she watched.
Golf lovers had pondered with intrigue how Rahm would respond in his first appearance since his high-profile heartache at his last tournament, when he looked certain to ease to victory until the cameras captured him being informed while he was on the course that he had contracted Covid-19 and would have to withdraw.
Former professional Spiranac admitted before the major that she had relented from picking Rahm as her winner because she was unsure how he would perform following his enforced isolation.
The social media sensation, who works for a betting company, picked powerful DeChambeau as her tip when pressed, although she admitted that her choice had been reluctant to the point of making her feel "sick".
While witnessing Rahm record a spectacular victory, Spiranac bristled at a fan who accused her of being obsessed with DeChambeau after she made a joke about the muscular contender on social media.
"Jesus – does your boyfriend get jealous with how often you talk about Bryson?" they asked, tagging in DeChambeau. "Talk about having a lady boner."
Spiky Spiranac fired back: "You would never say this to a man. My job is to talk about golf and he is one of the most talked about athletes in the game."
The skin-baring American was on happier form as she applauded Rahm's resurgence, calling it "much-deserved" as part of an "amazing" showpiece.
"Great venue, drama, meltdowns, fans back – and Rahm winning," she purred. "What. A. Tournament."
Rahm will be world number one as a result of the win that has netted him a cool $2.25 million, having shown admirably little bitterness about his painful ordeal in his previous outing.
Jesus, does your boyfriend get jealous with how often you talk about Bryson. Talk about having a lady boner @b_dechambeau
