In a thrilling showdown at LIV Golf Miami, Dean Burmester emerged triumphant over Sergio Garcia in a playoff, while Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII secured the team title, setting the stage for an electrifying start to the Masters week.
Despite not being among the contenders for the upcoming major, Burmester delivered a commanding performance on the challenging Trump National Doral course, showcasing his world-class talent and clinching his first LIV Golf victory.
Reflecting on his achievement, Burmester expressed his satisfaction, labelling it as “probably the best golf of my career.”
With three wins in his last nine worldwide starts, including his first LIV Golf title and two DP World Tour events, Stinger GC’s Dean Burmester is one of golf’s hottest golfers.
But the only major he’s qualified to play this year is the Open Championship, thanks to his win in November at the Joburg Open.
That means he’s not going to be in the field at the year’s first major, the Masters.
“I want to be in the field, obviously,” the South African said. “I feel like I’ve played some really great golf over the last five, six months.
The two wins back home in South African before Christmas were special, two tournaments I’ve wanted to win for a long time.
To win the South African Open, which is the second oldest tournament in the world, is a privilege.
I thought I held myself really well there, and to come here on a golf course like this that’s major worthy and to beat major champions, I’m happy to have done that.
“Do I want to be at Augusta? Yeah, I’ve never been there before. So yeah, I want to be there.”
The final round witnessed a rollercoaster of emotions as multiple players, including Garcia, Rahm, and Hatton, vied for the top spot.
Burmester’s birdie on the 16th propelled him to a solo lead momentarily, only to be followed by a tense playoff against Garcia, who had led earlier but faltered on the final holes.
In a dramatic finish, Burmester secured victory with a composed performance, while Garcia faced disappointment in his quest for a LIV Golf title.
Despite his extensive experience on the Blue Monster course, Garcia succumbed to his third loss in a playoff, emphasizing the elusive nature of victory in professional golf.
There have been nine playoffs in LIV Golf history, and Fireballs GC Captain Sergio Garcia has participated in three of them.
He’s still looking for his first win, having lost to Talor Gooch in Singapore last year, Joaquin Niemann in Mayakoba earlier this year and now Dean Burmester on the Blue Monster.
“It’s not the playoffs,” Garcia said. “I’m doing it myself. Obviously, a couple of shots here and there.
But it’s what it is. You’ve got to keep giving yourself chances and wait for it to happen.”
Meanwhile, Rahm’s Legion XIII showcased resilience and teamwork, with Rahm himself leading the charge with a stellar 3-under 69.
The team’s cohesive performance culminated in a champagne celebration, marking their second team title of the season and setting a promising tone for future competitions.
Looking ahead, Rahm remains optimistic about his prospects for the Masters, aiming to replicate his success and secure back-to-back victories.
With a consistent track record in the LIV Golf circuit, Rahm stands as a formidable contender as he prepares to defend his title at Augusta National.
ANOTHER PODIUM FOR WOLFF:
Having been acquired by RangeGoats GC via an offseason trade, Matthew Wolff continues to prove that his value to his new captain Bubba Watson.
Wolff finished solo third at 10 under after a 3-under 69 in Sunday’s final round. It was his third sub-70 round of the week; winner Dean Burmester was the only other player to post all three rounds in the 60s. In addition, Wolff led the field in driving distance average for the week, while ranking T1 (with Watson) in most fairways hit.
“It was a great week overall,” said Wolff, who finished one stroke out of the playoff. “I’m extremely happy with the week. … My ball-striking was great.”
Wolff finished fourth in Las Vegas, giving him two top-5s in four starts with his new team (he missed Jeddah with an illness).
He made an adjustment with his putting, and no longer uses a line to help his aim. Instead, he is focusing on feel putting.
Although he burned plenty of edges Sunday, he likes the direction his game is going.
“I’m giving it my all,” he said. “I think soon enough these putts are going to drop and I’m going to be hoisting a trophy.”
As the LIV Golf season unfolds, the competition intensifies, promising more thrilling moments and fierce battles on the greens.
From playoff dramas to team triumphs, each event adds to the excitement, captivating audiences and showcasing the pinnacle of golfing excellence.
ROUND 3 STATS LEADERS
Driving accuracy: Matt Wolff, Graeme McDowell, 78.57% (11 of 14 fairways hit)
Driving distance: Jon Rahm, 346.9 yards avg.
Longest drive: Kieran Vincent, 376.0 yards, 1st hole
Greens in regulation: Carlos Ortiz, 94.44% (17 of 18 greens)
Scrambling: Thomas Pieters (5 of 5), Carlos Ortiz (1 of 1), 100%
Putting: Louis Oosthuizen, 1.33 putts per hole
Bogey-free rounds: Carlos Ortiz (68)
TEAM COUNTING SCORES
Standings and counting scores for Sunday’s final round of the team competition at LIV Golf Miami.
The three best scores from each team count in the first two rounds while all four scores count in the final round.
The team with the lowest cumulative score after three rounds wins the team title.
1. LEGION XIII -22 (Rahm 69, Surratt 70, Hatton 71, Vincent 77; Rd. 3 score: -1)
2. RANGEGOATS GC -21 (Wolff 69, Pieters 69, Uihlein 73, Watson 74; Rd. 3 score: -3)
3. STINGER GC -15 (Burmester 68, Oosthuizen 71, Grace 72, Schwartzel 75; Rd. 3 score: -2)
T4. TORQUE GC -13 (Muñoz 68, Ortiz 68, Niemann 70, Pereira 78; Rd. 3 score: -4)
T4. FIREBALLS GC -13 (Ancer 68, Garcia 70, Puig 71, Chacarra 76; Rd. 3 score: -3)
6. CRUSHERS GC -11 (DeChambeau 68, Casey 69, Howell III 70, Lahiri 77; Rd. 3 score: -4)
7. SMASH GC -7 (Kokrak 68, McDowell 70, Gooch 73, Koepka 77; Rd. 3 score: E)
8. 4ACES GC -5 (Varner III 70, Reed 72, Johnson 74, Perez 76; Rd. 3 score: +4)
9. CLEEKS GC E (Bland 73, Meronk 74, Kaymer 76, Samooja 77; Rd. 3 score: +12)
10. RIPPER GC +4 (Jones 69, Leishman 69, Campbell 73, Herbert 81; Rd. 3 score: +4)
11. IRONHEADS GC +5 (Vincent 72, Lee 72, Na 73, Kozuma 76; Rd. 3 score: +5)
T12. MAJESTICKS GC +6 (Poulter 71, Stenson 73, Westwood 73, Horsfield 73; Rd. 3 score: +2)
T12. HYFLYERS GC +6 (Tringale 71, Steele 72, Ogletree 75, Mickelson 76; Rd. 3 score: +6)