Tag: Trump Doral

Dean Burmester wins 2024 LIV Golf Miami in playoff; Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII claim team title

The win is Burmester’s first since joining the Saudi-backed league last season.

Sergio Garcia had his sights on a first LIV Golf win Sunday, but a late bogey opened the door for Dean Burmester to steal the honor.

The 34-year-old South African took down the 2017 Masters champion in a two-hole playoff at 2024 LIV Golf Miami at Trump National Doral to claim the $4 million prize and hand Garcia his third playoff loss since joining LIV.

Burmester shot consistent rounds of 68-69-68 to finish tied with Garcia at 11 under and then won LIV’s fifth event of the season with a par on the second playoff hole after each player made par the first time around. The victory is Burmester’s third in the last year after he won the Joburg Open and South African Open on the DP World Tour in consecutive weeks at the end of 2023.

“It’s special because coming over, obviously I was coming over to three friends and I was excited about that, but I also wanted to prove myself against a lot of the best players in the world, a lot of major champions,” said Burmester. “Now that I’ve done that a year and a half in, I’m super stoked and proud of myself and now we’re going to try to do it again.”

“I mean, it’s certainly probably the best golf of my career,” he said of his current form. “If I look at it that way, the amount of wins, the amount of top 10s, top 5s that I’m producing is some really special stuff.”

On the team side, Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII held off Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats GC by a single shot at 22 under for their second win of the season. Louis Oosthuizen and Burmester’s Stinger GC finished in a distant third at 15 under.

“Well, I guess that so far we’ve done well on challenging golf courses. I think more importantly this week, though, was to bounce back after how we finished last in Hong Kong,” said Tyrrell Hatton. “I think we were all pretty sad about that. To come back out next event and win as a team is great, and now we look forward to Adelaide.”

“The best part for us is that I don’t think either of us has played even what I would say is their best golf for a whole week,” said Rahm of his team. “I feel like all of us have had some rounds where we left quite a few shots out there. I know some rounds might not count, but I think, exactly, it’s a lot of good to look forward to when all of us show up to a tournament when we’re all playing our B+ or A game. Either one of us four is capable of winning individually at any given tournament, and I’m looking forward for that day to happen.”

Thirteen LIV players will take their talents down Magnolia Lane this week for the 2024 Masters while the rest of the 54-player field will take a break before traveling to Australia for 2024 LIV Golf Adelaide, April 26-28, at the Grange Golf Club.

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2023 LIV Golf Team Championship prize money payouts for each team in Miami

It pays to play well on the Saudi-backed circuit.

DORAL, Fla. — It pays to play well in the LIV Golf League, just ask Crushers GC.

Bryson DeChambeau’s team finished at 11 under to win the 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship and claim the top prize of $14 million Sunday at Trump National Doral’s Blue Monster. Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats GC finished runner-up, with Joaquin Niemann’s Torque GC in third and last year’s champions, 4Aces GC led by Dustin Johnson, in fourth.

All four scores counted in Sunday’s final round, which is different from LIV’s regular-season events where the lowest score is dropped each day. The semifinal winners competed for the top-four places (Tier 1), while teams to lose on Saturday competed for places 5-8 (Tier 2), with Friday’s losers going for places 9-12 (Tier 3).

But remember, team prize money goes back to the team at LIV events. In the Team Championship, the teams keep 60 percent and each player takes home 10 percent. Not too shabby for three days (at most) of work.

Here’s how much money each team earned this week near Miami.

Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC win 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship at Trump Doral, claim $14 million top prize

Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces GC finished fourth in their title defense at Trump National Doral.

DORAL, Fla. — Four teams entered Sunday’s final round of the 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship with a shot at the title, and come the back nine at Trump National Doral’s Blue Monster it was a two-horse race.

Down the stretch, Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC came out on top at 11 under to claim the title and the $14 million top prize, two shots ahead of runner-up RangeGoats GC. Torque GC finished third at 6 under, with last year’s defending champion 4Aces GC in fourth at even par.

The low man for the low team was Anirban Lahiri, who shot a bogey-free 7-under 65 in the final round. DeChambeau was two shots behind at 5-under 67, with Charles Howell III at even and Paul Casey at 1 over.

“We are watching the leaderboards, and I was thankful every time I looked up and saw Bryson and (Anirban) make another birdie,” said Howell III. “You know you’ve got these finishing holes ahead, right, and there’s water everywhere and trickiness and the greens were fast.”

“It was very nerving wracking. Finishing it off, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, I was super nervous not knowing what could happen,” said DeChambeau. “Everybody was in flux and I wasn’t driving it particularly my best. I did it very well on the front nine but the back nine didn’t do it as well, and it’s one of those things that I was just trying to hit the best shot I possibly could. I was super nervous. I couldn’t feel my arms over the ball on the last hole.”

“When I was 7-under playing 18, which was my 17th hole and we were only two or three shots ahead, and you know, normal circumstance, I’m going 15, 20 feet right of the flag. I went straight at it,” added Lahiri. “Didn’t hit a good shot. But you know, the mentality was different. It didn’t matter where I was or what I was shooting. What mattered was where the team was and what the team needed. I’m just glad I showed up for the team on a Sunday.”

The RangeGoats earned $8 million, with $6 million going to Torque and $4 million to the 4Aces. As of this year, team prize money goes back to the team at LIV events. In the Team Championship, the teams keep 60 percent and each player takes home 10 percent.

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Bryson DeChambeau drove a green (and hospitality stand?) and somehow made birdie at 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship

DeChambeau made one of the weirdest birdies you’ll see at Trump National Doral.

DORAL, Fla. — With the team title on the line, Bryson DeChambeau made a circus birdie down the stretch Sunday at the 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship.

With the tee pushed up, DeChambeau went to drive the green on the short par-4 16th and somehow hit it over the “Birdie Shack” hospitality stand and across the No. 2 green, located behind the 16th green and grandstand. After his ball presumably hit the cart path, the 30-year-old was forced to wait for the group on No. 2 to clear the green before he could play his next shot.

His approach attempt had to carry the hospitality stand and took a little math (and a lot of guessing) to lock in a yardage. DeChambeau’s caddie said 109 yards was the number and from there he hit a miraculous second within 25 feet, completely blind, to keep his struggling team’s title hopes alive.

From there, of course DeChambeau made the putt, sending a much-needed jolt of electricity through the dormant crowd.

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Explaining the format: $50 million 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship moves to stroke play for final round

All 12 teams will be on the course on Sunday, but only four will be competing for the top prize.

DORAL, Fla. — After two days of match play, the 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship is heading back to stroke play.

Twelve teams made their way to Trump National Doral’s Blue Monster course for the $50 million season finale, and just four remain for the final round. Sort of.

Each of the 12 teams will be in action on Sunday but only the four winners from Saturday’s semifinal round – 4Aces GC, Crushers GC, RangeGoats GC and Torque GC – will be competing for the $14 million top prize.

“Still got to play golf. Just like match play, I mean, obviously, if you hit a bad shot you can’t just pick it up,” said Johnson of the switch from match to stroke play. “You’ve got to play solid, all four guys got to play well if you want to win. It takes a whole team effort tomorrow. I like it. It’s four teams and we’re battling for the trophy.”

The teams that lost on Saturday – Cleeks GC,  – will be competing for places 5-8, while Friday’s quarterfinal losers – Iron Heads GC, Majesticks GC, Ripper GC and Smash GC – will play for places 9-12.

“It’s a huge opportunity for us,” said DeChambeau about his Crushers. “Last year we left pretty sour, and this year is a different story. We’ve got some guys that are playing some better golf and I’m playing a little bit better.”

“Hopefully I can do that tomorrow and give ourselves an opportunity to win. We’ve been prepping for this all year,” he added. “And look, it’s 18 holes of golf. Anything can happen really and we’ve got a good team, we’ve just got to show it tomorrow.”

All 48 players will play 18 holes of shotgun start (1:05 p.m. ET) stroke play, with all four scores counting towards the final team score. You can watch from 1-6 p.m. ET on the CW or stream on the CW app or LIV Golf app.

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Top four seeds advance from 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship semifinals, will play for $14 million top prize

All 12 teams will be on the course on Sunday, but only four will be competing for the top prize.

DORAL, Fla. — If you were busy watching the loaded college football slate on Saturday, here’s what you missed from the semifinals of the 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship.

Sebastian Munoz had the performance of the day and put the first point on the board with his 7-and-6 drubbing of Stinger GC’s Branden Grace. Joaquin Niemann’s Torque GC went on to sweep Louis Oosthuizen’s Stinger, 3-0, in the semifinals to lock up the first of four top spots in Sunday’s final round.

Crushers GC’s Paul Casey put up a similar effort against Richard Bland of Cleeks GC with a 6-and-5 shellacking that helped advance the Crushers, captained by Bryson DeChambeau, into the top four. The second clinching point came from DeChambeau in his captain’s match against Martin Kaymer, where the bulked-up bomber won, 4 and 3.

Cameron Tringale dog walked Patrick Reed around the Blue Monster course for most of the round before letting him off the leash after 15 holes, 4 and 3. That would be the lone win for HyFlyers GC as the 4Aces GC advanced to defend their 2022 title thanks Dustin Johnson’s 2-and-1 win over Phil Mickelson and Pat Perez/Peter Uihlein’s 4-and-3 victory over James Piot/Brendan Steele.

Sergio Garcia made quick work of Bubba Watson in the captain’s match between Fireballs GC and RangeGoats GC, 4 and 3. Harold Varner III/Thomas Pieters tied the match with their 2-and-1 foursomes win over Carlos Ortiz/Abraham Ancer. The season-long 2023 individual champion Talor Gooch – which earned the 30-year-old an $18 million bonus – put the deciding point on the board with his 2-up win over Eugenio Chacarra.

All 48 players will play 18 holes of shotgun start (1:05 p.m. ET) stroke play on Sunday in the final round, with all four scores counting towards the final team score. Only the four winners from Saturday’s semifinal round – 4Aces GC, Crushers GC, RangeGoats GC and Torque GC – will be competing for the $14 million top prize.

The teams that lost on Saturday – Cleeks GC, Fireballs GC, HyFlyers GC and Stinger GC – will be competing for places 5-8, while Friday’s quarterfinal losers – Iron Heads GC, Majesticks GC, Ripper GC and Smash GC – will play for places 9-12. You can watch from 1-6 p.m. ET on the CW or stream on the CW app or LIV Golf app.

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Dustin Johnson vs. Phil Mickelson highlights Saturday’s semifinal round at 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship

Here’s what you need to know about Friday’s quarterfinals and Saturday’s semifinal round.

DORAL, Fla. — Two matches went to extra holes in the quarterfinals of the 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship, setting a high bar for Saturday’s semifinal round.

The four teams which had a bye – Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces GC, Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC, Joaquin Niemann’s Torque GC and Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats GC – will all be in action for the first time this week come Saturday’s 1:15 p.m. ET shotgun start at Trump National Doral.

Those four captains were able to pick their opponents, which set up a couple solid matches for Saturday’s action. Johnson will take on Phil Mickelson as the 4Aces GC will play HyFlyers GC in the marquee match of the round. Watson vs. Sergio Garcia might draw some eyes as well as the RangeGoats GC battle Fireballs GC. DeChambeau’s Crushers will play Martin Kaymer’s Cleeks GC, leaving Niemann’s Torque GC to play Louis Oosthuizen’s Stinger GC.

Here are the second-round matches for Saturday’s semifinal round.

4Aces GC vs. HyFlyers GC

  • Singles: Dustin Johnson vs. Phil Mickelson
  • Singles: Patrick Reed vs. Cameron Tringale
  • Foursomes: Pat Perez/Peter Uihlein vs. James Piot/Brendan Steele

RangeGoats GC vs. Fireballs GC

  • Singles: Bubba Watson vs. Sergio Garcia
  • Singles: Talor Gooch vs. Eugenio Chacarra
  • Foursomes: Harold Varner III/Thomas Pieters vs. Carlos Ortiz/Abraham Ancer

Crushers GC vs. Cleeks GC

  • Singles: Bryson DeChambeau vs. Martin Kaymer
  • Singles: Paul Casey vs. Richard Bland
  • Foursomes: Anirban Lahiri/Charles Howell III vs. Graeme McDowell/Bernd Wiesberger

Torque GC vs. Stinger GC

  • Singles: Joaquin Niemann vs. Louis Oosthuizen
  • Singles: Sebastian Munoz vs. Branden Grace
  • Foursomes: Mito Pereira/David Puig vs. Charl Schwartzel/Dean Burmester
2023 LIV Golf Team Championship Miami
Brooks Koepka plays his shot from the 14th tee during the first round of the 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship Miami at Trump National Doral. (Photo: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports)

The best performances from Friday came from Smash GC’s Brooks Koepka, who beat Mickelson, 6 and 4, and Eugenio Chacarra of the Fireballs, who rolled Majesticks GC’s Sam Horsfield, 6 and 5. The only first-round sweep was Stinger GC’s 3-0 shellacking of Kevin Na’s Iron Heads GC, where none of the three matches reached 18 holes.

Big money awaits

A whopping $50 million is on the line this week, with $14 million going to the winning team. The format features a mix of both match and stroke play. Friday’s quarterfinal and Saturday’s semifinal matches include three matches in each round, two singles and a foursomes (alternate shot). No ties. The first team to two points wins and advances. (You can read more about the format here).

Come Sunday, all 12 teams will compete in stroke play, where all four scores will count (in regular season events, the worst score is dropped from the team total), but only the top four teams can win the top prize. The teams to lose on Saturday will compete for places 5-8, with Friday’s losers going for places 9-12.

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Greg Norman speaks publicly for first time since framework agreement on LIV Golf and his future

Norman emphatically has “zero” concerns about LIV Golf or his place in its future.

DORAL, Fla. — Greg Norman hasn’t spoken publicly since the shocking announcement of the framework agreement between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund back in June.

It was fitting for the Great White Shark to resurface at this week’s LIV Golf Team Championship, held at Trump National Doral where Norman was a three-time winner in 1990, 1993 and 1996 (he lights up talking about his playoff win in 1990). In a small session with reporters, Norman talked about the future of LIV Golf and addressed the swirling rumors of his long-term position as CEO and commissioner of the upstart circuit.

“I knew it wasn’t true,” Norman said of claims he wouldn’t have a position in the wake of the congressional hearings regarding the framework agreement. “There’s so much white noise running around out there, I paid very, very, I actually paid zero attention to it. I know sitting in this seat today, I know every step I’ve made has been for the right reasons, right reasons for the game of golf … So I was never in any fear of anybody saying anything or any animus against me or anything like that. Because the business model works.”

Norman added that he has “zero” concerns about the future of LIV due to the investments that have already been made and his belief in the viability of the franchise model.

“All indications show you that the position of LIV has never been stronger and the position and success of our players and our brand has never been in a better place,” claimed Norman. “As we look forward into 2024, we’ve got a full schedule now, some places we’ve been to before, but we’ve got some new venues as well, reaching different new regions.”

The exact locations have yet to be confirmed but the plan is for six events to be hosted in the United States with eight held internationally. LIV will return to some venues, leave others in the past and plant new flags at other properties around the world. A schedule release is expected within the next few weeks.

The two-time major champion said he isn’t involved in discussions with the PIF or PGA Tour, but on multiple occasions praised the framework agreement, even saying he hopes it works for the Tour, as well.

“The framework agreement really is a bit of a catalyst because of the recognizing the commercialization of what we are doing here at LIV,” explained Norman. “Private equity has never been invested in the game. We’re an asset class now. And that asset class is in the teams. … So we’re in that position now where the true valuation of where we were in the beta season to the valuation of where we are today is real and going up and up and up.”

“I’m just proud that we were over to do that. And now over here at the framework of agreement, I hope it happens for the PGA Tour as well, too,” he continued. “I hope that works because that’s the best thing for golf, creating this value chain that’s been sitting idle for 53 years.”

The stalling discussions with regard to the framework agreement have led fans and the media to ponder if it will eventually be passed before the end of the year. Norman put to bed any speculation that LIV would be negatively impacted, regardless of the outcome.

“LIV is independent,” he said with confidence bordering on cockiness. “I don’t see LIV going anywhere but up.”

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Brooks Koepka vs. Phil Mickelson highlights 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship quarterfinal matches at Trump Doral

Eight teams will be in action on Friday, with four teams on a bye until Saturday’s semifinals.

DORAL, Fla. — After 13 events spread from Mexico to Saudi Arabia, the final event of the 2023 LIV Golf League season is here.

What sets the LIV Golf Team Championship, held once again at Trump National Doral, apart from the other big-money, no-cut events on the upstart circuit’s schedule is its unique format. Throughout the year, teams earn points for their finishes at each regular-season event. At the $50 million finale, teams are seeded based on their points earned over the season and then compete in both stroke and match play over three days. The top four teams have a bye for the first round, which is the quarterfinals.

The captains play the captains in a singles match, leaving three players to be split between another singles match and a foursomes (alternate shot) match. No ties. The first team to two points wins and advances to Saturday. Simple enough? (You can read more about the format here).

An interesting wrinkle is that the higher-seeded teams get to pick their opponents in the quarters and semis, which sets the table for a little trash talk as seen during Tuesday’s press conference which featured the captains of teams Nos. 5-12.

Up first was Louis Oosthuizen, captain of Stinger GC, who selected Kevin Na’s Iron Heads, the team that’s been comfortably in dead last all season long. Su-Ann Heng, a member of the LIV broadcast team and moderator of the captain selections, tried to get Oosthuizen to bring the heat with his reason for picking the Iron Heads, saying, “You don’t have to be kind. You can have a little fun.”

The soft-spoken South African said he “didn’t really want to play any of the other teams” before apologizing to Na, who claimed his team had “the better southern African” in Scott Vincent. Zing! Next up, Fireballs GC captain Sergio Garcia, who picked the three-way captained Majesticks (Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson and Lee Westwood).

“I guess they just want to have a Saturday off,” quipped Stenson.

Cam Smith and Ripper GC selecting Martin Kaymer’s Cleeks GC was a rather dull exchange, leaving Brooks Koepka and Smash GC to square off against Phil Mickelson and his HyFlyers GC.

“I didn’t really get much option in this,” said Koepka to a room full of laughter. “Yeah, so we’re playing, or I’m stuck with Phil, and the rest of the guys are playing with the other guys. It will be a good matchup.”

Mickelson was complimentary of Koepka’s year as the PGA champion and a two-time winner with LIV before adding, “There’s a lot of other guys I would rather be playing against. So I’ve got my work cut out for me.”

Here are the first-round matches for Friday’s quarterfinal round.

Fireballs GC vs. Majesticks GC

  • Singles: Sergio Garcia vs. Henrik Stenson
  • Singles: Eugenio Chacarra vs. Sam Horsfield
  • Foursomes: Abraham Ancer/Carlos Ortiz vs. Ian Poulter/Lee Westwood

Smash GC vs. HyFlyers GC

  • Singles: Brooks Koepka vs. Phil Mickelson
  • Singles: Jason Kokrak vs. Cameron Tringale
  • Foursomes: Chase Koepka/Matthew Wolff vs. James Piot/Brendan Steele

Stinger GC vs. Iron Heads GC

  • Singles: Louis Oosthuizen vs. Kevin Na
  • Singles: Branden Grace vs. Scott Vincent
  • Foursomes: Dean Burmester/Charl Schwartzel vs. Sihwan Kim/Danny Lee

Ripper GC vs. Cleeks GC

  • Singles: Cam Smith vs. Martin Kaymer
  • Singles: Marc Leishman vs. Richard Bland
  • Foursomes: Matt Jones/Jediah Morgan vs. Graeme McDowell/Bernd Wiesberger

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LIV Golf makes interesting tweak to Team Championship format for finale at Trump Doral

The three days of play will feature a little stroke play, a little match play and a whole lot of money.

The format for the 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship at Trump National Doral, Oct. 20-22, will look similar to last year’s event near Miami: a little bit of match play, a little bit of stroke play with a whole lot of money on the line.

Teams have been earning points all season based on their finishes: the winning team goes home with 32 points, while Nos. 9-12 in the weekly standings leave empty-handed. After LIV’s final regular-season event in Jeddah this week, teams will be seeded based on their position in the final standings for the Team Championship.

The three-day shotgun start event in Miami features a $50 million purse as well as a mix of singles and foursomes matches in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds on Friday and Saturday, with stroke play for Sunday’s final round.

Last year, only the four teams that advanced from the semifinals competed on Sunday. This season, all 12 teams and 48 players will play, including those eliminated in Friday’s quarterfinal rounds. The decision will guarantee all players will compete twice and aims to enhance the fan experience for the final round. That said, it may be rather confusing for fans to follow.

Team Championship format

Friday, Oct. 20 – Quarterfinals

  • Teams seeded 1-4 receive a bye.
  • Teams seeded 5-12 will compete in head-to-head match-play, where the highest-ranked teams select their opponents.
  • All 32 players from those eight teams will compete simultaneously in a shotgun start, with three matches taking place: two singles matches and one foursomes (alternate-shot) match.
  • Matches will be played until a winner is determined with no ties. Each match win earns a point. The first team to win two points will advance to Saturday’s semifinal round.

Saturday, Oct. 21 – Semifinals

  • Teams seeded 1-4 will play the winning teams from Friday, where once again the highest-ranked teams will choose their opponents.
  • All 32 players from those eight teams will compete simultaneously in a shotgun start, with three matches taking place: two singles matches and one foursomes (alternate-shot) match.
  • Matches will be played until a winner is determined with no ties. Each match win earns a point. The four teams who win two points will qualify to finish in the top four after Sunday’s final round. The teams eliminated in the semifinals will finish in the Nos. 5-8 bracket after Sunday’s final round. Eliminated teams on Friday will finish in the Nos. 9-12 bracket after Sunday’s final round.

Sunday, Oct. 22 – Finals

  • All 48 players and 12 teams will compete in one round of stroke play. All four individual scores count towards the team score.
  • The four teams that won in the semifinals will compete for 1st-4th place. The four teams eliminated in the semifinals will compete for 5th-8th place. The four teams eliminated in the quarterfinals will compete for 9th-12th place.

For example, if Kevin Na’s Iron Heads lose on Friday, then get hot on Sunday and win the final day of stroke play, they’d finish in ninth place. If Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers win in the quarterfinals, lose in the semifinals and finish first on Sunday, they’ll finish in fifth place.

Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces, last year’s winner of the inaugural Team Championship, are currently in first with a 10-point lead over Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers. Torque, captained by Joaquin Niemann, leads the league with four team victories this season and are in third place.

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