Bryson DeChambeau claimed his second consecutive individual victory on the LIV Golf circuit, triumphing in dramatic fashion at the inaugural LIV Golf South Africa event on Sunday at The Club at Steyn City in Johannesburg.
The two-time U.S. Open champion and Crushers GC captain finished regulation play tied at 26-under-par with Jon Rahm of Legion XIII after 72 holes. DeChambeau carded rounds of 63-65-64-66 for his total, while Rahm closed with a blistering 8-under 63 to force the playoff.
In the sudden-death playoff on the par-5 18th, DeChambeau delivered a clutch 295-yard 3-wood from a wet tight lie to set up a birdie opportunity from about 12 feet. After Rahm missed his birdie putt, DeChambeau two-putted for the winning birdie, securing the title and earning $4 million for the individual win.
DeChambeau’s victory followed his playoff triumph the previous week at LIV Golf Singapore, marking the first back-to-back individual wins on LIV since 2023 and highlighting his red-hot form heading into the Masters in early April. For Rahm, it was his third runner-up finish to go along with a win in Hong Kong. Like DeChambeau, he enters the major season in top form.
An emotional DeChambeau broke down in tears during his post-round interview, reflecting on personal gratitude, challenging moments, and the memory of his father, emphasizing that the win meant more than just golf. He praised the South African fans and event atmosphere, calling it potentially the best LIV Golf has hosted, with the league announcing a return to Steyn City in 2027.
“I wish I could tell you,” said DeChambeau. “A lot has happened in my last 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.
“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.”
Adding to the celebration, DeChambeau’s Crushers GC team — featuring Paul Casey, Charles Howell III, and Anirban Lahiri — rallied to win the team title by one stroke over the local favorite Southern Guards GC, reaching a league-record ninth regular-season team trophy with a team total of 76-under.
“It’s huge. It’s huge for our momentum,” said DeChambeau. “I said earlier this week that we just needed a little bit of time and we’d start showing our true colors, and they went out and played stellar today, and I held it down.
“But I’m super proud of the guys. I can’t tell you how excited I am to have these guys a part of the team. I think that’s nine team wins now. This is my fifth LIV individual win. I’m still pulling that dang driver. I’ve got to fix that.”
The event showcased LIV’s top talent in a showdown between two of its biggest stars, with DeChambeau’s composure under pressure proving decisive once again.
“Had to be done,” said DeChambeau. “Jon, there was a very good chance I thought he was going to stiff it. That 3-wood in there, I thought he was going to stiff it.
“I was fortunate enough to get a good lie. It was muddy, so I’m trying to aim over there, worst case scenario, and I just pulled it again and I knew I’d be okay and get somewhat of a lie. I got a great lie, I dropped it, and I got to place it, luckily, and then had a perfect lie and striped it to the middle of the green, and it fed right over to 12 feet, and I was not going to leave myself a three-footer on that one.”
Other notables included Branden Grace, Thomas Detry, and Abraham Ancer tying for third at 23 under, while the week drew strong local support and enthusiasm for golf’s growth in the region.
