Jon Rahm Loses LIV Golf Indianapolis Playoff But Rips Individual Championship Out Of Joaquin Niemann's Hands Via Stunning Final Round

WELCOME

Hello and welcome to Golf Monthly's coverage of the back nine of LIV Golf Indianapolis 2025. Sebastian Munoz is currently leading this week's final individual event ahead of Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm, but there are plenty more storylines out there as well.

Rahm and Niemann are in a nip-and-tuck battle for the season-long championship, while a whole cluster of pros are attempting to avoid being relegated from the league with a last-gasp highlight performance.

Thanks for tuning in as we bring you all of the key updates as they happen from The Club at Chatham Hills.

JOHNSON REJOINS THE LEAD

What a time to join! Dustin Johnson gives himself a sweeping birdie look at the par-3 11th and duly rolls it in to reach -19 alongside Munoz. The Torque man is unable to do the same from a similar position on the green, and we are all square at the top with six to play...

THREE IN A ROW

Bubba Watson seals three birdies in a row too reach 16-under (fifth) on his own. Carlos Ortiz then does the same at the par-4 15th - his 13th hole. He is T3rd.

RAHM INTO A SHARE

Oh! What a moment that could be! At the par-5 13th, Rahm sinks a long-range eagle putt to move from 17-under to 19-under and into a share of the lead. Honestly, it didn't look as if it would go anywhere but the hole as soon as he hit it. That could be a heavy blow to Joaquin Niemann's own Individual Championship chances. Especially as he is only able to make birdie from a similar range.

ANOTHER SWING COMING?

At the par-3 14th, Rahm pulls his tee shot left and it appears to settle down it the rough somewhat. He is not happy, chuntering away to his caddie all the time.

Playing in the same group is his season-long title partner. Niemann fires a dart to within 10 feet and will have a chance to retake the lead in Individual Championship race.

JOHNSON O.B.

Trouble for one of the title challengers. Dustin Johnson has just pulled his tee shot out of bounds at the par-5 13th. This hole is playing at something like 4.33 today. That is a huge mistake from Johnson.

TROUBLE FOR RAHM

Moments after that eagle from Rahm, the Spaniard may have just thrown both this week's event and the season-long race away in one fell swoop. His attempted flop shot is duffed a few yards in front of him and the third shot, another chip, rolls a good 10-12 feet past.

Niemann, meanwhile, has a nice look at birdie...

GOOD BOGEY

With his knees almost certainly knocking somewhat, Rahm drains the bogey putt to drop only one. Good courage shown.

LIP OUT

On the par-5 7th hole, Tyrrell Hatton almost flies his second shot in for an albatross. That would have been a hell of a highlight in what has been a really poor week by his lofty standards.

Returning to his teammate and Rahm's battle for the Individual Championship, Niemann sees his birdie putt lip out despite looking good for 99.99% of its journey towards the hole. The gap is still three and the margin between them for the season remains paper thin.

BATTLE FOR RELEGATION

As it stands, Ian Poulter is the only member of Majesticks GC who is on for relegation as a result of his position just outside of the points. Henrik Stenson is T20th and on for a couple of points which would ensure his safety.

The live standings say Andy Ogletree, Mito Pereira and Ian Poulter are being relegated as it stands.

MUNOZ CLOSING IN

Sebastian Munoz plays the par-5 13th almost perfectly and gives himself a long-range look at eagle. He comes up a few inches short, but with Dustin Johnson tapping in for bogey, his lead will grow to three strokes. Five holes to play.

A GAME OF INCHES

At the par-4 15th, Joaquin Niemann zips a lovely wedge into eight feet - a shot which piles the pressure on Rahm. But do you know what Rahm thrives on? Exactly that. Pressure. He follows up by throwing one past the flag and watching it roll past Niemann's ball before coming to rest at kick-in range. If that had gone in, it would have been advantage Rahm in a big way.

NIP AND TUCK

Fair play to Niemann, that was a tricky little putt down the hill from right to left, but he caught enough of the left side.

There are less than two points between Rahm and Niemann with three holes to play. A birdie apiece at the 15th fires Rahm up to second, though, and he holds the title as it stands.

JOHNSON TAKES ONE BACK

Johnson responds to his disappointing bogey with a birdie at the par-3 14th which pushes him into a share of second on 19-under. That could be temporary, though, as Rahm flies a dart into the 16th.

Niemann has a decent look at birdie as well, meanwhile.

POULTER FIGHTING ON

Two consecutive birdies have helped Ian Poulter back into the points, but it's not enough to lift him out of the relegation places at the moment. He is currently the first man inside the drop zone ahead of Andy Ogletree and Mito Pereira.

CHANCE FOR RAHM

The putting graphics they use on LIV TV broadcasts show where Niemann could send his ball to sink a birdie putt, but the Chilean goes much lower than that and watches his ball sail on by.

Big chance for Jon Rahm now from four feet.

BIG BIRDIE

Rahm just about catches enough of the left edge and his ball drops for birdie. The Spaniard is now not only one stroke behind Munoz for the title today but pulling clear of Niemann in the Individual Championship fight. Niemann tidies up for par but has still lost ground. Less than three points is the difference.

WILD FROM JOAQUIN

At the par-5 17th, Rahm hammers a perfect drive down Broadway. Niemann then tries to rip one on a similar line but double-crosses himself and pulls it towards the fans down the left. His drive takes a horrible bounce off a path and pulls up just short of heading into the woods. Nevertheless, Niemann will be in the rough and has very little chance of going for the green in two, you would have thought.

MUNOZ MISSES

Oh dear! Munoz was three clear not long ago, but he's now back into a share after making a bogey at the par-4 15th. Rahm birdied that, remember.

On the 16th tee, Johnson over-fades his drive and has left his ball in some really thick rough. Everything is falling Rahm's way right now.

POULTER MAKES PROGRESS

After sending one close at the first, Poulter makes one of the two likely birdies he needs to survive at the expense of teammate, Stenson. The Swede has just missed a birdie putt of his own, too. They're in a situation where one shot either way could be career-altering.

SUPERB RECOVERY

From a suboptimal lie in the rough, Niemann squeezes a hybrid to maybe 10 yards short of the green and almost chips in from there. He will have to make do with a probably par, however.

RAHM LEADS

The Spaniard is on fire today. He sends his approach onto the putting surface but just fails with an outside eagle chance from the opposite side. Regardless, another birdie sends him into the lead with one hole to play. Rahm is on course to shoot 61 with a par at the last.

POULTER OUT OF THE RELEGATION ZONE

This is sensational from a guy whose career has been made from fighting out of impossible situations. Ian Poulter has made four birdies in a row and is now up to T17th - enough to catapult him out of the relegation zone at the expense of Stenson. One hole to play for Poulter.

RAHM ON FIRE

Jon Rahm is playing lights out. Joaquin Niemann hasn't lost this, Rahm has won it. The Spaniard - helped by his caddie, Adam - is able to send one just past the flag at the par-4 18th and zip it back to another kick-in putt. He will shoot a closing 60 to post 22-under.

Can Munoz catch him? Possibly. But Niemann's race for the Individual Championship, despite winning FIVE times, is likely done thanks to a closing par. The Chilean is likely going to lose the season-long race on the final day for the second year in a row. Brutal.

RAHM POSTS 22-UNDER

Niemann can't make his birdie at the 18th, and that is likely his chances of success over. Unless. Unless his teammate can come home two-under. Should Rahm lose in a playoff, I believe it would then fall back Niemann's way. That is possible given Munoz is on the par-5 17th.

MUNOZ OFF TARGET

At the 17th, Munoz misses wildly to the left with his approach and will be dropping from near the grandstand. That is not a welcome sight for anyone associated with Torque GC.

ANDY OGLETREE RELEGATED

Andy Ogletree misses a birdie chance at the 54th hole from 10 feet and knows he is done. His cap comes off and Ogletree puts his hands on his head. He fell one stroke shy, a shot that has spared Ian Poulter. For now.

UNREAL RECOVERY

Munoz takes his free relief and zips a beautiful chip shot down to the hole side. He should make his birdie there to move within one again...

STENSON HAS A CHANCE

On the 18th, Henrik Stenson has a 12-foot birdie putt to save his LIV Golf career. This is it for the Swede. Make it and stay. Miss it and there's no guarantee what the future holds.

ONE BACK

Sebastian Munoz does make his birdie at the 17th and has one more hole remaining to force a playoff.

IAN POULTER SURVIVES

Four late birdies saves Ian Poulter's LIV Golf career as Henrik Stenson misses his birdie try at the 18th. He gave it a chance, did Stenson, but it was not really that close.

Henrik Stenson is relegated.

FINAL CHANCE

Munoz throws his approach to maybe 10 feet and has a chance to force a playoff.

Moments later, Johnson almost holes out for eagle! What a finish here.

PLAYOFF INBOUND

He has done it! Munoz rolls home the birdie putt and we are going to a playoff at Chatham Hills! Incredible from the Torque man. He cards a closing 65 to reach 22-under.

PLAYOFF FORMAT

Just a reminder of how the playoff format works. Rahm and Munoz will head back to the 18th for a sudden-death playoff. So, the two will keep playing the 18th until a winner emerges. Rahm is looking for his third LIV Golf title, Munoz his first.

ASSURED START TO PLAYOFF FROM BOTH

Rahm is the first to tee off and both players are safely on the fairway. No sign of nerves from Munoz, who has four career wins so far - two on the Colombian Tour, one on the Web.com Tour (now the Korn Ferry Tour) and the 2019 Sanderson Farms Championship on the PGA Tour.

TOUGH BREAK FOR RAHM

Munoz is on the left side of the fairway and first to go with his approach. It's a solid strike and that is beautiful, the ball landing beyond the pin before spinning back to within 10 feet.

Now Rahm. It's even better, hitting the flagstick, but there's a bad break as it spins away comfortably to the left. The Spaniard is left with his hands on his head and who can blame him? Is his chance slipping away in the most unlucky way imaginable?

MUNOZ PIPS RAHM!

It's about a 20-footer for Rahm. Can he hole it? It looks very much like he can, until it breaks left at the last moment.

Munoz is left with around eight feet to win the title. It's almost six years since his last title on any circuit...

He rolls it in as though it picks up trophies in his sleep! Sebastian Munoz is the winner of LIV Golf Indianapolis!

WHAT IT ALL CAME DOWN TO

Unbelievable scenes at The Club at Chatham Hills as Munoz pips Rahm to the title, thanks to a wickedly unlucky break for the Spaniard when his second shot in the playoff hit the flagstick before spinning away.

The good news for Rahm, it as well as over $2m as consolation for his runner-up, he's pipped Joaquin Niemann to the Individual Championship for the second year running. That'll bank him a bonus $18m.

Incredibly, Rahm won the season-long race despite going winless all season and Niemann taking five titles!

AS FOR THE TEAMS...

In the team event, Torque GC win with Rahm's Legion XIII in second and Fireballs GC in third.

In the season-long team standings, it's Legion XIII leading the way ahead of the finale the Team Championship, with Crushers GC in second and Fireballs GC in third.