MIAMI: Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC won the Team Championship of the 2023 LIV Golf League in dramatic fashion here on Sunday.
Fueled by Anirban Lahiri’s spectacular bogey-free round, steady play by Charles Howell III and Paul Casey, and a riveting back-nine performance from their captain DeChambeau, Crushers GC won the all-scores-count shootout by two shots over Range Goats GC. Torque GC finished third, while defending champion 4Aces GC settled for fourth.
Last year, the Crushers did not reach the Team Championship final, as they were knocked out in the match-play semifinals. But the team started the new season with a bang, winning in Mayakoba, Mexico, on the strength of Howell’s individual victory.
DeChambeau found his form in mid-season and won two individual titles, with the Crushers winning again in Chicago. They completed the journey to the top at Trump National Doral, shooting a combined 11-under.
“Last year really left a sour taste in our mouth,” DeChambeau said as he celebrated with his teammates on the 18th green of the iconic Blue Monster course. “I can’t be happier with this team of mine. I don’t know what else to say. I’m at a loss (for) words right now … these guys are the best.”
Lahiri was the team’s top performer on Sunday, shooting a seven-under 65 that included consecutive hole-outs at the par-four seventh (for birdie) and par-five eighth (for eagle). It was a terrific effort for a player who had come so close to winning an individual title in 2023 with two runner-up finishes and another podium result.
“I had a couple of Sundays where I let myself down,” Lahiri said. “But I wasn’t going to let the team down today.”
DeChambeau was three-under at the turn, then birdied the 10th and 11th holes before suffering his first bogey at the 12th to start his rollercoaster back-nine. He then birdied the 13th from 36 feet (10.9 meters), bogeyed the 14th, then birdied the 15th from 35 feet.
But the most dramatic moment came at the drivable par-four 16th, with the Crushers’ lead reduced to one stroke. DeChambeau’s tee shot hit the top of the Birdie Shack grandstand behind the green and finished on the front edge of the second green.
Facing a blind shot from 109 yards, DeChambeau hit a wedge back over the grandstand and onto the 16th green, then made the birdie putt to increase the Crushers’ lead to two.
“My drop zone, I was going to drop in a sidehill lie out of the rough over palm trees. It was just not feasible,” DeChambeau explained. “I got a perfect lie in front of the green on two … I was like, it’s a 109-shot, whatever, let’s go. And hit it to 20 feet and made an incredible putt.”
Moments later, Casey followed with a clutch six-foot par putt on his final hole while the RangeGoats’ Thomas Pieters missed his from similar distance.
When the RangeGoats’ 2023 Individual Champion Talor Gooch bogeyed the 18th after finding the water with his tee shot, the Crushers had enough cushion to absorb DeChambeau’s bogey and RangeGoats captain Bubba Watson’s birdie on the 18th.
DeChambeau finished with a five-under 67, while Howell shot even-par 72 and Casey a 73.
“I thought this year would be special,” said Howell. “We started off with a win. Obviously, Baan and Bryson have played phenomenal golf here recently.”
Although the RangeGoats came up short, Watson — who shot a bogey-free 67 — was proud of his team’s effort.
“The RangeGoats came out of nowhere,” Watson said. “We played great. We’ve got to improve a little bit. But gosh, finished second for the year. What a great place.”
As for DeChambeau, winning the Team Championship helps to make up for the disappointment in the regular-season finale in Jeddah when he came up short of capturing the Individual Champion title.
“Any time you get a win with a team, I’d say honestly that’s more important than individual stuff,” DeChambeau said. “Look, majors are great but there’s a team behind you there. I’ve got a team, my own team.
“But having the Crushers be front and center of the first inaugural full season just means the world. We are part of history, and I couldn’t be more proud of these guys and definitely takes the sting out of last week. But the team is what it’s all about, and I couldn’t be more proud.”
