Crushers do the double at LIV Golf Chicago, but Lahiri slips away
An amazing final day run of 8 under par 63 gave Bryson DeChambeau an unexpected victory at LIV Golf Chicago on Sunday, but it came at the cost of team mate Anirban Lahiri, whose two late errors were fatal to his victory hopes.
- Sep 25, 2023,
- Updated Sep 25, 2023 10:24 PM IST
A fleeting moment on the 18th hole of Rich Harvest Farms said it all. Anirban Lahiri, head and shoulders bowed after his missed par putt, and his Crushers team captain Bryson DeChambeau, head in his hands in shared agony at the error that deprived Lahiri of a chance to get into a playoff for the LIV Golf Chicago title.
It was a difficult situation for both. Lahiri has come close three times earlier in LIV Golf individual play and thrice in team competition and a seventh runner-up finish would not have been in his plans. With four holes to go he led the field by a shot even as DeChambeau got closer and closer riding on a hot streak.
Two dropped shots at that crucial phase would change it all. Bogeying the par-3 15th allowed DeChambeau to level with his team mate on 13 under par, and the second would send Lahiri into third place on countback behind Marc Leishman who also finished with a 12 under tally.
“To be honest with you, I was actually sad,” said DeChambeau, who was watching from just off the green. “I really wanted him to make that so we could go battle it off in a playoff and finish it off the right way. That was the first emotion that I had.
“Secondly, you’ve got people coming over and congratulating you, and it’s just like, ‘Oh, I really didn’t feel like I won. This isn’t the normal feeling I usually have when you win a tournament.’ It was definitely a huge mix of emotions.”
Lahiri’s tie for second on the traditional leaderboard is his seventh runner-up finish in all his starts since joining LIV Golf last year. In all starts, he was seeking his first victory since a pair of wins in February 2015.
Lahiri was a bogey-free 4-under on his round through 14 holes, but he three-putted for the two bogies and admitted that, “I played really bad, to be honest. I was fighting my swing the whole day.”
Lahiri knew his captain was on the charge, as the Crushers had moved up the team leaderboard. While the team element remains a vital part of the LIV Golf competition, he knows individual victory remains the first goal.
“I think all four of us would agree that you’re trying to win the tournament outright first,” Lahiri said. “At least that’s how I look at it. Anyone else who says otherwise is lying. But the team win was something that we all knew we needed to pull off, and we knew we should pull off.”
At the top, it was a spectacular charge by DeChambeau powered by an 8 under par card that reminded watchers of his record-breaking performance last month in Greenbrier when he shot a closing 58 to win his first LIV Golf title.
DeChambeau, who started the day eight strokes off the lead, finished at 13 under while Lahiri and Ripper GC’s Leishman tied for second at 12 under. Leishman, who shot 66, took second-place points via the better final-round score than Lahiri, who shot 69.
DeChambeau and Lahiri did celebrate the team victory together, as the Crushers shot a 15-under counting score on Sunday to finish at 33 under, three strokes ahead of the Fireballs. Besides DeChambeau’s 63, Charles Howell III (67) and Paul Casey (68) contributed counting scores. Fireballs took second place while league leaders 4Aces GC claimed third via tiebreaker over RangeGoats GC.
The victory was the season’s second for the Crushers, who moved into second place in the standings with one tournament left next month in Jeddah. The top four teams in the standings after that event will receive byes going into the team finale in Miami.
“This is why I love what we’re doing,” Casey said. “It’s the individual and the team element, and the individual element is rewarding to a certain level, and the team element is rewarding to a whole ‘nother level. They’re different. You can’t compare them but boy, does it feel good to play good with these guys.”
DeChambeau birdied seven of his last 12 holes as his putter heated up. His lengthy putt at 12 left him in disbelief, as he continued to move up the leaderboard. “I just kept trying to hit as many fairways as I could and hit the irons close and make some putts,” he said. “That’s ultimately just kind of what happens when I get on a roll. It just doesn’t stop. Kind of like, uh-oh, here comes the train.”
As much as DeChambeau was elated about his own performance, he was also respectful of Lahiri’s disappointment. “It’s one of those things you never want to see a teammate go through,” DeChambeau said. “But it is what it is, and I think he’s learned a lot, obviously. … Your time is coming.”
Meanwhile, the individual championship is now a three-player race among Ripper GC captain Cameron Smith, RangeGoats GC’s Talor Gooch and DeChambeau as only they can mathematically finish no. 1.
Smith, who finished 40th and out of the points in Chicago, still leads with 170 points, while Gooch is second with 162 points and DeChambeau third with 146 points after his victory. 4Aces GC’s Patrick Reed drops to fourth place with 121 points. Even if he wins in Jeddah and claims the 40 points for first, he would be unable to catch either Smith or Gooch.
That means Smith and Gooch have clinched top-three positions that come with bonus payouts. But DeChambeau could still overtake both players to finish at No. 1.
Final scores
1. Crushers GC (-33): Bryson DeChambeau 63, Charles Howell III 67, Paul Casey 68
2. Fireballs GC (-30): Sergio Garcia 67, Abraham Ancer 69, Eugenio Chacarra 69
3. 4Aces GC (-25): Peter Uihlein 66, Pat Perez 70, Patrick Reed 70
4. RangeGoats GC (-25): Talor Gooch 68, Bubba Watson 68, Harold Varner III 69
5. Torque GC (-23): Joaquin Niemann 68, Mito Pereira 71, Sebastián Muñoz 73
6. Majesticks GC (-22): Henrik Stenson 67, Sam Horsfield 68, Ian Poulter 72
7. Ripper GC (-21): Marc Leishman 66, Matt Jones 69, Jediah Morgan 72
8. Stinger GC (-19): Charl Schwartzel 69, Branden Grace 70, Louis Oosthuizen 71
9. Cleeks GC (-14): Richard Bland 67, Bernd Wiesberger 70, Graeme McDowell 72
10. Smash GC (-11): Jason Kokrak 70, Brooks Koepka 71, Matthew Wolff 72
11. HyFlyers GC (-11): Brendan Steele 68, James Piot 71, Cameron Tringale 73
12. Iron Heads GC (-6): Scott Vincent 70, Danny Lee 70, Kevin Na 71
A fleeting moment on the 18th hole of Rich Harvest Farms said it all. Anirban Lahiri, head and shoulders bowed after his missed par putt, and his Crushers team captain Bryson DeChambeau, head in his hands in shared agony at the error that deprived Lahiri of a chance to get into a playoff for the LIV Golf Chicago title.
It was a difficult situation for both. Lahiri has come close three times earlier in LIV Golf individual play and thrice in team competition and a seventh runner-up finish would not have been in his plans. With four holes to go he led the field by a shot even as DeChambeau got closer and closer riding on a hot streak.
Two dropped shots at that crucial phase would change it all. Bogeying the par-3 15th allowed DeChambeau to level with his team mate on 13 under par, and the second would send Lahiri into third place on countback behind Marc Leishman who also finished with a 12 under tally.
“To be honest with you, I was actually sad,” said DeChambeau, who was watching from just off the green. “I really wanted him to make that so we could go battle it off in a playoff and finish it off the right way. That was the first emotion that I had.
“Secondly, you’ve got people coming over and congratulating you, and it’s just like, ‘Oh, I really didn’t feel like I won. This isn’t the normal feeling I usually have when you win a tournament.’ It was definitely a huge mix of emotions.”
Lahiri’s tie for second on the traditional leaderboard is his seventh runner-up finish in all his starts since joining LIV Golf last year. In all starts, he was seeking his first victory since a pair of wins in February 2015.
Lahiri was a bogey-free 4-under on his round through 14 holes, but he three-putted for the two bogies and admitted that, “I played really bad, to be honest. I was fighting my swing the whole day.”
Lahiri knew his captain was on the charge, as the Crushers had moved up the team leaderboard. While the team element remains a vital part of the LIV Golf competition, he knows individual victory remains the first goal.
“I think all four of us would agree that you’re trying to win the tournament outright first,” Lahiri said. “At least that’s how I look at it. Anyone else who says otherwise is lying. But the team win was something that we all knew we needed to pull off, and we knew we should pull off.”
At the top, it was a spectacular charge by DeChambeau powered by an 8 under par card that reminded watchers of his record-breaking performance last month in Greenbrier when he shot a closing 58 to win his first LIV Golf title.
DeChambeau, who started the day eight strokes off the lead, finished at 13 under while Lahiri and Ripper GC’s Leishman tied for second at 12 under. Leishman, who shot 66, took second-place points via the better final-round score than Lahiri, who shot 69.
DeChambeau and Lahiri did celebrate the team victory together, as the Crushers shot a 15-under counting score on Sunday to finish at 33 under, three strokes ahead of the Fireballs. Besides DeChambeau’s 63, Charles Howell III (67) and Paul Casey (68) contributed counting scores. Fireballs took second place while league leaders 4Aces GC claimed third via tiebreaker over RangeGoats GC.
The victory was the season’s second for the Crushers, who moved into second place in the standings with one tournament left next month in Jeddah. The top four teams in the standings after that event will receive byes going into the team finale in Miami.
“This is why I love what we’re doing,” Casey said. “It’s the individual and the team element, and the individual element is rewarding to a certain level, and the team element is rewarding to a whole ‘nother level. They’re different. You can’t compare them but boy, does it feel good to play good with these guys.”
DeChambeau birdied seven of his last 12 holes as his putter heated up. His lengthy putt at 12 left him in disbelief, as he continued to move up the leaderboard. “I just kept trying to hit as many fairways as I could and hit the irons close and make some putts,” he said. “That’s ultimately just kind of what happens when I get on a roll. It just doesn’t stop. Kind of like, uh-oh, here comes the train.”
As much as DeChambeau was elated about his own performance, he was also respectful of Lahiri’s disappointment. “It’s one of those things you never want to see a teammate go through,” DeChambeau said. “But it is what it is, and I think he’s learned a lot, obviously. … Your time is coming.”
Meanwhile, the individual championship is now a three-player race among Ripper GC captain Cameron Smith, RangeGoats GC’s Talor Gooch and DeChambeau as only they can mathematically finish no. 1.
Smith, who finished 40th and out of the points in Chicago, still leads with 170 points, while Gooch is second with 162 points and DeChambeau third with 146 points after his victory. 4Aces GC’s Patrick Reed drops to fourth place with 121 points. Even if he wins in Jeddah and claims the 40 points for first, he would be unable to catch either Smith or Gooch.
That means Smith and Gooch have clinched top-three positions that come with bonus payouts. But DeChambeau could still overtake both players to finish at No. 1.
Final scores
1. Crushers GC (-33): Bryson DeChambeau 63, Charles Howell III 67, Paul Casey 68
2. Fireballs GC (-30): Sergio Garcia 67, Abraham Ancer 69, Eugenio Chacarra 69
3. 4Aces GC (-25): Peter Uihlein 66, Pat Perez 70, Patrick Reed 70
4. RangeGoats GC (-25): Talor Gooch 68, Bubba Watson 68, Harold Varner III 69
5. Torque GC (-23): Joaquin Niemann 68, Mito Pereira 71, Sebastián Muñoz 73
6. Majesticks GC (-22): Henrik Stenson 67, Sam Horsfield 68, Ian Poulter 72
7. Ripper GC (-21): Marc Leishman 66, Matt Jones 69, Jediah Morgan 72
8. Stinger GC (-19): Charl Schwartzel 69, Branden Grace 70, Louis Oosthuizen 71
9. Cleeks GC (-14): Richard Bland 67, Bernd Wiesberger 70, Graeme McDowell 72
10. Smash GC (-11): Jason Kokrak 70, Brooks Koepka 71, Matthew Wolff 72
11. HyFlyers GC (-11): Brendan Steele 68, James Piot 71, Cameron Tringale 73
12. Iron Heads GC (-6): Scott Vincent 70, Danny Lee 70, Kevin Na 71