Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII Edge Bryson DeChambeau's Crushers GC To Claim LIV Golf Team Championship In Thrilling Playoff

John Rahm’s Legion XII sealed a thrilling playoff victory over Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC in the LIV Golf Team Championship at The Cardinal at St John’s.

The strokeplay round of the season finale in Michigan began with just three teams remaining in contention for victory, despite all 48 players and 12 teams being on the course.

That’s because, following Saturday’s semifinals, Crushers GC, Legion XIII and Louis Oosthuizen’s Stinger GC emerged as the winners of the Championship Bracket, leaving them jostling for the first, second and third places.

Crushers GC’s Anirban Lahiri, Stinger GC’s Branden Grace and Legion XIII’s Caleb Surratt got things underway, and by the time all four Crushers players had teed it up at the first, the team had four birdies.

Legion XIII fared well at the first, too, with only Tyrrell Hatton failing to make a birdie, while Stinger GC found themselves at one under.

That set the early tone for Crushers GC, who continued racking up the birdies, and by the time all four players had played the front nine, the team had made just two bogeys to move to 14-under.

At the same point, Stinger GC, buoyed by all four players making birdies at the par-5 fifth, was on 12-under after a bogey-free opening nine, while Legion XIII was in touch, too, four back of the lead.

On the back nine, Stinger GC’s challenge faded, although one big highlight was an eagle for Charl Schwartzel at the par-5 14^th, but in truth, by that stage, it had become a two-horse race.

With captains DeChambeau, Rahm and Louis Oosthuizen on the 16^th, there were three shots between the top two, with Crushers GC at 19-under, Legion XIII at 16-under and Stinger GC 11 back of the lead.

However, with all the players still out on the course, DeChambeau would have been well aware how quickly that three-shot lead could disappear.

It very nearly had by the time the captains were on the 17^th, with Legion XIII closing the gap to just one as Crushers GC slipped to 18-under. Step forward DeChambeau, who faced a long birdie putt and came up clutch to move him to seven-under for the day and offer breathing space.

It was temporary, as Rahm followed suit to move Legion XIII to 18-under, and minutes later, his teammate Tyrrell Hatton, on the 18^th, made his own birdie putt to level things up.

That left the tantalizing prospect of DeChambeau and Rahm to battle it out on the 18^th with the entire season coming down to the final hole.

Perhaps inevitably, the two superstars couldn’t be separated, and with both teams locked at 20-under, each captain had to select a teammate for a two-on-two strokeplay playoff back at the 18^th.

Rahm chose Hatton, with DeChambeau opting for Paul Casey, and the Legion XIII duo going first. After all four played solid tee shots, Casey left his approach with some distance to go before Rahm’s ball span back too much, leaving another difficult birdie chance.

Hatton then played a similar shot, before DeChambeau’s span back from a better position too.

Casey was first to putt and missed narrowly left, before Rahm missed his right.

That left DeChambeau to once again step up at the perfect moment to roll in a birdie putt and leave Hatton needing the same to extend the playoff. He showed nerves of steel to make it, and back to the tee box they went.

At the second extra hole, Hatton continued the momentum with a beautiful approach stopping close to the pin to heap pressure on Casey.

It appeared to get to him as the Englishman came out considerably worse. Rahm then almost matched Hatton as the Legion XIII pair turned the screw.

Could DeChambeau respond again? This time, he came up short, finding the rough rather than the green.

He needed to hole his subsequent chip shot, but narrowly missed, and it was on Casey from all of 30 feet to keep Crushers GC hopes alive. It wasn’t to be as the putt drifted right.

That left Rahm to make the crucial birdie before Hatton tapped in for his, and Legion XIII had won the Team Championship.

For Rahm, it capped a memorable season just a week after he won the Individual Championship at LIV Golf Indianapolis.

LIV Golf Team Championship Leaderboard

Championship Bracket

• 1st -20 Legion XIII (won playoff)
• 2nd -20 Crushers GC
• 3rd -12 Stinger GC

Rankings Bracket

• 4th -18 Smash GC
• 5th -14 HyFlyers GC
• 6th -9 Torque GC

Rankings Bracket

• 7th -17 4Aces GC
• 8th -13 Fireballs GC
• 9th -6 Ripper GC

Rankings Bracket

• 10th -7 Range Goats GC
• 11th -6 Majesticks GC
• 12th +1 Cleeks Golf Club