Ripper GC deliver when most needed to pocket LIV Dallas team championship

It has fallen out of favour now but Australians once famously used to be referred to as “diggers.” At the LIV Golf Dallas Team Championship on Sunday, Cameron Smith’s Ripper GC team tapped into a rich vein of that attribute to emerge winners in a pressure-packed, topsy-turvy final round at the Maridoe Golf Club, finding shots and putts when most needed.

Or, as Smith said later, “We’re Aussies.”

With the leaderboard in constant churn and all four championship contenders tightly bunched, the Rippers produced clutch shots down the stretch to emerge winners by three shots over 2022 champions 4Aces GC and giant-slayers Iron Heads GC, with Legion XIII finishing fourth amongst the teams that contested for the title.

In the final placings, Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces were handed second place on countback over the closing nine holes despite tying with Kevin Na’s team, though and the two shared the combined second and third place prize purse equally. While the Rippers banked $14 million, the Aces and Iron Heads shared $7 million,
 
For the Rippers, it was a fitting end to a season that included an emotional victory in front of home fans in Adelaide in LIV Golf’s first-ever team playoff followed the next week with another title in Singapore. They also had three other podium results and entered this week’s Dallas championship as the third seeds.

“To be a part of this is unreal, especially with these guys,” Smith said after the Rippers topped the leaderboard with an 11-under total, with the Aces and Iron heads on 8 under each and the Legionnaires fourth on 6 under.

At different times during the final nine holes of the season, the Aces and Iron Heads had the lead, while Legion XIII – despite missing their inspirational captain and 2024 individual champion Jon Rahm with illness – also made a late charge.
 
But the Rippers took the upper hand in a two-hole stretch in which they made six birdies from the cumulative eight holes played to edge ahead by two shots from the pack. “Watching the leaderboard today was pretty stressful,” Smith, who led his team with a 4 under par 68, said later. “I almost wanted to take my eye off it, but I couldn’t. I was so intrigued with what we had to do.”

“Special day. Going to be awesome to celebrate with these lads,” said Marc Leishman, who contributed a 2 under 70. Added Matt Jones (70), “Indescribable actually. I’ve got goosebumps right now thinking about it.”

The Rippers had 21 birdies on the day against two double bogeys. Said Smith, “At no point today did I feel like we were under the pump or had to do anything. I think there was a genuine feeling within the team that these guys are going to do the best.”

Giant-killers Iron Heads GC, who knocked fourth seeds Smash GC and defending champions Crushers GC out of contention in the previous two rounds, almost scripted another Cinderella story, with captain Kevin Na and Jinichiro Kozuma carding 3 under 69s, Danny Lee adding a 70 and Scott Vincent contributing a level par 72. “Overall, I’m pretty pleased,” Na said. “We tied for second. Big week for the boys. We want to win. But besides winning, this is second-best.”
 
Dustin Johnson and his 4Aces also ran the eventual winners close with a gritty effort that made up somewhat for a disappointing season. Johnson and Patrick Reed each shot 69s; the only bogey among them coming from Johnson on hole 18 when he found the water with his tee shot. 

Pat Perez and Harold Varner III contributed 71s. “It was fun,” Johnson said. “That's what you want. It was really close all day. All four teams had a chance coming down the stretch. There's not really any more you can ask for.”
 
Tyrrell Hatton almost carried Legion XIII with his 68, matching Smith for the day’s low score in the championship battle. Filling in for Rahm, John Catlin added a 70, while 20-year-old Caleb Surratt ended his first LIV Golf season with a 71. “It was always going to be hard with Jon not playing, especially when all four scores count,” the Englishman said later. “That being said, it’s still disappointing to finish last out of the four today.”
 
Behind the championship battle, the all-South African Stinger GC produced the best score of any team – a solid 15 under -- to top the second tier and finish fifth. Led by Branden Grace’s 7 under 65 and Charl Schwartzel’s 66, the Stingers beat Fireballs GC by one stroke.
 
“It's satisfying and a big sting, like knowing if we would have played in the final four, we would have won the whole thing,” said Stinger captain Louis Oosthuizen. “But we played well. We came in here ready and felt that our game was good, and Branden showed today that he's making a turn, and hopefully he can keep going.”