Bryson DeChambeau defeats Jon Rahm to claim back-to-back wins

LIV Golf’s recent sprint across the globe featured stops in Hong Kong, Singapore and South Africa in three successive weeks. This week’s tournament at Midland’s Club at Steyn City marked the league’s first-ever event on the African continent, and the fans turned out in droves.

Those fans got their money’s worth too, with an opportunity to witness a heavyweight battle between LIV’s two biggest names, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm. On Sunday, Rahm eradicated DeChambeau’s three-shot lead by firing a bogey-free, eight-under round of 65 to reach 26 under par.

DeChambeau fired a final-round 68 to also get to 26 under par, sending the two to a playoff for the individual title. On the first playoff hole, the 651-yard par-5 18th, DeChambeau hit the green in two with a magnificent fairway wood from the wet ground left of the fairway, giving him a makeable look at eagle while Rahm found the greenside bunker.

Rahm left his bunker shot outside of DeChambeau’s mark, and when Rahm missed his birdie putt, DeChambeau had two putts to win, making his victory all but assured. DeChambeau hit his eagle putt to tap-in range, securing his birdie and the win, making him LIV’s first back-to-back winner since Talor Gooch won in Adelaide and Singapore in 2023.

DeChambeau was immediately overcome with emotion after holing his putt, tearfully embracing his caddie and later, his Crushers GC teammates, who also secured a team win, edging the home-country favorites, Southern Guards GC, by a single shot.

In his post-round interview, DeChambeau remained coy about the source of his emotion.

“I wish I could tell you,” he said. “A lot has happened in the past week. I’m just so grateful for my team, the Crushers, everybody supporting me. It’s so funny, golf is a fickle game, and you work so hard at it your whole entire life, and you realize that golf is just golf and there’s a lot more to life than just golf.

“I had some things happen in the off time during this week, and I was just praying all day, praying to give me the perseverance to move forward and keep looking forward,” he continued. “I’ve just got to say I love everybody. Thank you for supporting. South Africa was unbelievable. I mean, got to be the best LIV event we’ve ever had.”

DeChambeau now has five LIV individual titles, and his team, Crushers GC, leads the league with nine team victories.

The South Africa event is LIV Golf’s final tune-up before the Masters. The next stop is Mexico City, which will take place at Club de Golf Chapultepec April 16-19.