Brooks Koepka received his fifth particular person LIV Golf event when beating Jon Rahm in a play-off at Greenbrier in West Virginia.
It was the primary time the 2 gamers have gone down the stretch since Rahm joined LIV Golf in the beginning of this season, and it was harking back to the ultimate spherical of final yr’s Masters – solely with a distinct final result.
Koepka has now received 5 of the 31 LIV Golf regular-season tournaments that he’s performed. No different participant has received greater than 3 times. He stated Sunday’s win was his favorite.
“I believe this one simply meant a bit bit extra, for the previous few years taking part in Jon and clearly he bought the higher of me at Augusta,” Koepka stated. “I simply wished to beat him. He performed phenomenal in the present day. The best way he completed down the stretch was fairly clutch, and it was enjoyable to look at him this week.”
RECORD TEAM TOTAL
Koepka’s Smash crew additionally claimed the crew title, tying a LIV Golf report with a 53 below whole counting rating to beat Ripper GC by three pictures.
Koepka and Jason Kokrak led the crew with 7-under 63s, with Talor Gooch capturing 69. Reserve participant John Catlin, filling in for the suspended Graeme McDowell, shot a 67.
Rahm surged previous Koepka to win the Masters final yr and hoped to say his second consecutive LIV Golf title, having received at JCB in England three weeks in the past. He entered the ultimate spherical with a two-shot lead, however Koepka caught him after six holes.
From there, the 2 went back-and-forth whereas others joined the fray, together with 51-year-old Richard Bland, who briefly had the outright lead after an eagle on the twelfth gap.
Koepka made three straight birdies on his again 9 and led by two pictures with three to play. However Rahm caught him with birdies at 16 and 17.
PLAY-OFF DRAMA
They each parred the 157-yard par-3 18th, after which performed the outlet once more within the playoff. Koepka’s tee shot left him with a 25-foot birdie putt whereas Rahm discovered the again bunker, leaving him with a clumsy lie on the quick facet. He blasted out to 23 ft previous the pin. However after Koepka missed his birdie try, Rahm couldn’t save par.
“We’ve gone head-to-head just a few occasions, and it’s all the time a enjoyable one for the spectators,” stated a dissatisfied Rahm. “It’s enjoyable for us and clearly extra enjoyable for whoever wins, but it surely all the time appears to come back down the stretch. Final time I had a putt to win it on 18, and this time he was the one which ended up successful.”
Rahm did have a major accomplishment regardless of arising quick, as he overtook Joaquin Niemann in LIV Golf’s season-long factors listing. These two will battle it out for the Particular person Championship subsequent month at LIV Golf Chicago, whereas Koepka has an out of doors shot on the bonus-paying third place.
“There’s nonetheless clearly quite a lot of good issues to consider,” Rahm stated. “However proper now it hurts greater than something.”
TEAM RESULT
- SMASH GC -53 (Koepka 63, Kokrak 63, Catlin 67, Gooch 69; Rd. 3 rating: -18)
- RIPPER GC -50 (Leishman 64, Smith 67, Herbert 67, Jones 68; Rd. 3 rating: -14)
- LEGION XIII -42 (Rahm 65, Surratt 67, Vincent 67, Hatton 69; Rd. 3 rating: -12)
