INCHEON, South Korea — Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau lastly transformed a 36-hole lead right into a LIV Golf victory on Sunday. His teammate Charles Howell III, although, didn’t make it simple for him.
DeChambeau countered Howell’s final-round 9-under 63 with a 6-under 66 in a spirited back-nine final-group duel to win the person title by two pictures at LIV Golf Korea introduced by Coupang Play. His Crushers made it a sweep of the trophies at Jack Nicklaus Golf Membership Korea by rallying previous Smash GC to win the staff title.
“Charles and I had an amazing battle on the market,” stated DeChambeau, who completed at 19 below. “He by no means wavered at the moment. It was enjoyable and we had a good time at the moment, but it surely was intense. Tremendous-intense.”
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The person victory is DeChambeau’s third in LIV Golf, however his first since 2023 – and his first after coming into the ultimate spherical with the lead. Current Sundays have resulted in disappointment, each within the earlier two LIV Golf occasions in Miami and Mexico Metropolis during which DeChambeau led after 36 holes, in addition to final month’s Masters during which he led with 16 holes left.
He entered Sunday with a wholesome four-shot lead, however Howell – beginning the day 5 again – opened with three consecutive birdies and was 4 below on the flip. In the meantime, DeChambeau suffered his solely bogey of the week on the par-4 sixth and made the flip at even par, his lead diminished to at least one.
Whereas different gamers sought to make some noise — 4Aces GC’s Thomas Pieters birdied 5 of his first six holes whereas Smash’s Talor Gooch completed sturdy – the person title finally got here all the way down to the 2 Crushers teammates and shut mates.
Each turned up the warmth on the again 9, with DeChambeau making birdies on 4 of his subsequent six holes whereas Howell strung collectively 5 consecutive birdies. With three holes remaining, the 2 had been tied at 17 below. However Howell suffered his solely bogey of the day after his tee shot discovered a fairway bunker on the sixteenth. DeChambeau adopted by creating some much-needed respiratory room on the seventeenth, rolling in a 48-foot birdie putt on the seventeenth earlier than letting out a roar and pumping his fists, a celebration that had been constructing since his current near-misses.
DeChambeau then managed to remain out of bother – barely – together with his tee shot on the par-5 18th, ending the spherical with a birdie and an enormous sigh of aid.
“I really feel like I’ve been enjoying some nice golf, however I simply haven’t gotten the job executed,” DeChambeau stated. “That was loads of rigidity. Simply glad I used to be capable of step as much as the plate and get it executed. … I used to be personally fairly nervous on the entrance 9 for no matter purpose. … Lastly, on 17, the bubble burst and I felt actually good.”
For Howell, the efficiency confirms that he’s all the way in which again from the stress fracture in his left tibia that knocked him out of motion for 3 months in the midst of final season. The solo second is his first podium consequence since profitable in Mayakoba to start out the 2023 season.
“I knew at the moment could be a tricky day to catch Bryson and even to attempt to beat him, however I gave it my finest,” Howell stated. “I undoubtedly would’ve thought 9-under would have executed it, and clearly it didn’t. … Any time you shoot 9-under par within the final group, and you continue to don’t win, it’s a tricky day.”
Stated DeChambeau: “I’m so pleased with Chuckie, the way in which he fought on the market at the moment. Seeing that kind of grit, oh my gosh, that’s why I’ve him on the staff. That’s why I really like each one in every of them.”
The opposite two Crushers additionally confirmed loads of grit. Paul Casey opened with a 4-over 76 however shot 71-67 over the weekend to tie for twenty ninth. Anirban Lahiri shot a 72 on Sunday, rebounding from his 79 the day earlier than that included a horrible break when an method shot bounced off the flagstick and rolled throughout the inexperienced right into a water hazard, leading to a double bogey and derailing his momentum.
As a staff, the Crushers shot 20 below on Sunday, 12 pictures higher than every other foursome within the last spherical, to win by 9 pictures over Smash.
“I actually wished to get on that podium for the staff,” Lahiri stated. “I had a tricky weekend, however Paul and I had been each grinding on the market.”
Added Casey: “Charles and Bryson gained this for us. Our job was to not mess it up, if I’m being sincere.”
DeChambeau was additionally sincere when requested about his staff’s first victory of this season.
“The long run’s shiny for the Crushers,” he stated. “I’m simply excited to be a part of this story. That is so superior. That’s what LIV is all about.”
TEAM SCORES
LIV Golf’s new scoring format this season now includes all 4 scores now counting in each spherical within the staff competitors. Listed here are the ultimate outcomes and scores for every staff after Sunday’s Spherical 3 of LIV Golf Korea.
1. CRUSHERS GC -35 (Howell III 63, DeChambeau 66, Casey 67, Lahiri 72; Rd. 3 rating: -20)
2. SMASH GC -26 (Gooch 66, Koepka 70, McDowell 70, Kokrak 77; Rd. 3 rating: -5)
3. TORQUE GC -18 (Pereira 69, Ortiz 71, Muñoz 72, Niemann 73; Rd. 3 rating: -3)
4. RANGEGOATS GC -14 (Wolff 67, Uihlein 72, Watson 73, M. Kim 77; Rd. 3 rating: +1)
T5. RIPPER GC -13 (Leishman 69, Smith 69, Jones 70, Herbert 72; Rd. 3 rating: -8)
T5. LEGION XIII -13 (Rahm 70, Hatton 71, McKibbin 72, Surratt 72; Rd. 3 rating: -3)
T5. STINGER GC -13 (Catlin 69, Oosthuizen 72, Schwartzel 73, Burmester 74; Rd. 3 rating: E)
8. 4ACES GC -12 (Reed 65, Pieters 68, Johnson 74, Varner III 74; Rd. 3 rating: -7)
9. MAJESTICKS GC -7 (Poulter 68, Stenson 70, Horsfield 71, Westwood 78; Rd. 3 rating: -1)
10. FIREBALLS GC -5 (Garcia 69, Masaveu 69, Ancer 71, Puig 73; Rd. 3 rating: -6)
11. HYFLYERS GC -2 (Ogletree 67, Tringale 67, Steele 75, Mickelson 78; Rd. 3 rating: -1)
12. CLEEKS GC +4 (Kaymer 70, Bland 73, Kjettrup 75, Meronk 76; Rd. 3 rating: +6)
13. IRON HEADS GC +8 (Kozuma 70, Jang 74, Na 75, Lee 78; Rd. 3 rating: +9)
Wild Playing cards: C. Lee 70. A. Kim 74
This piece is courtesy of Mike McAllister in partnership with LIV Golf.
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