Fireballs, Garcia claim wins at LIV Golf Hong Kong

First place individual champion, Captain Sergio Garcia of Fireballs GC celebrates at the trophy ceremony after the final round of LIV Golf Hong Kong. (Mateo Villalba/LIV Golf)
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Updated 09 March 2025
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Fireballs, Garcia claim wins at LIV Golf Hong Kong

  • Spanish star leads his team to double tries as Mickelson makes first podium

HONG KONG: Sergio Garcia and his red-hot Fireballs GC team captured both trophies on Sunday at LIV Golf Hong Kong, while HyFlyers GC Captain Phil Mickelson appears to have recaptured his Hall of Fame form.

Led by their captain Garcia, the Fireballs have now won back-to-back tournaments, having claimed LIV Golf Adelaide last month. They will head to next week’s LIV Golf Singapore presented by Aramco seeking to become the first LIV Golf team to win three consecutive tournaments since the league expanded to a full 14-tournament schedule in 2023.

Garcia shot a bogey-free 7-under 63 to finish at 18 under and claim the individual title by three shots over hard-charging Dean Burmester, whose 62 was the low round of the day. Garcia, who finished third in the season-long Individual Championship race last season, moved atop the points standings after the first three events in 2025.

The 45-year-old Garcia played the final hole on Sunday with a comfortable individual lead but needed to make par to avoid dropping into a team playoff with Burmester’s Stinger GC. Facing a lengthy birdie putt, he rolled it to within tap-in range to seal the Fireballs’ sixth LIV Golf team title in club history. They climbed atop the season-long team standings by 10 points over Legion XIII.

“It was nice to see not only that I was doing well and leading the tournament, but my teammates were playing great,” said Garcia, who follows teammate Abraham Ancer as individual champions in Hong Kong. “They were keeping us there with a chance to win. Obviously when you can pull the double, it’s a lot sweeter than if it’s just one of them. Very proud of them.”

The Fireballs and Stingers appeared headed for a playoff until Luis Masaveu, the 22-year-old Spaniard signed by Garcia in the offseason, birdied his final hole, the short par-4 10th. “It feels incredible,” said Masaveu. “… Very happy for the team to be able to hole that putt and help them.”

Masaveu shot an even-par 70, with Ancer shooting 65 and David Puig a bogey-free 67 for a three-day team total of 37 under. The South African Stingers shot 17 under as a team Sunday to finish one shot back. Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC tied for third at 34 under with Cameron Smith’s Ripper GC, the reigning Team Champions. It was the HyFlyers’ third podium result in team history.

Individually, Mickelson finished solo third after his 64 left him at 14 under. It is the first podium finish for the 54-year-old Mickelson since joining LIV Golf as an original member in 2022, and it could not have come at a better time with golf’s first major just a month away at the Masters.

“The fact is, I’m hitting a lot of good shots. I’m playing some good golf,” said Mickelson, who has won three of his six majors at Augusta National. “This is a building week as I continue to build into LIV and my goal of accomplishing a win in LIV as well as winning another major or getting ready for Augusta.”

Garcia is also a past Masters champion, and his form has been superb for more than a year. Since the start of the 2024 LIV Golf season, he has two wins, three other runner-up finishes, and 13 top 20s in the last 16 LIV Golf regular season events, including 10 straight after Hong Kong.

He entered Sunday’s final round with a share of the lead but made an early statement by holing a lengthy eagle putt at the par-5 third after finding the green in two with a 6-iron. That gave him a two-shot lead, which he never relinquished.

“It really got me in a good mood,” Garcia said of the eagle. “I was very focused on what I wanted to do. But obviously when that happens, it gets you going even more.”

Always one of golf’s best ball-strikers, Garcia’s putting was dialed in at Hong Kong Golf Club, as he ranked third in the field in fewest putts during the week after switching to one of his old putters.

“I played with him yesterday,” Masaveu said. “He’s a machine.”

Asked if Garcia with a hot putter is as good as it gets in professional golf, Ancer offered a one-word response: “Yes.”


Al-Hilal’s 13-game winning streak halted after draw with Al-Riyadh

Updated 25 January 2026
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Al-Hilal’s 13-game winning streak halted after draw with Al-Riyadh

  • Al-Riyadh held the league leaders to a 1-1 draw thanks to an Ibrahim Bayesh equalizer
  • Al-Qadsiah keep the pressure on with 3-1 victory over Al-Najma

RIYADH: Al-Hilal’s 13-game winning streak in the Saudi Pro League came to an end on Matchday 18 after a 1-1 draw with Al-Riyadh on Sunday.

Daniel Carreno, no stranger to Al-Hilal after leading city rivals Al-Nassr to the league title at their expense in 2014, set up his side impeccably as they denied the leaders a seven-point cushion at the summit.

Despite boasting the leakiest defence in the league, conceding 37 goals in 17 games, Al-Riyadh delivered arguably their best performance of the season against Simone Inzaghi’s side.

They proved tough to break down, with goal-line clearances from Yoann Barbet, last-ditch blocks from Marzouq Tambakti and a solid display from goalkeeper Milan Borjan keeping Al-Hilal at bay.

Around the 25th minute, Al-Riyadh began to grow into the game. However, it was at that moment that Al-Hilal struck, with Malcom breaking down the right flank before delivering a dipping ball to Darwin Nunez.

His touch fell kindly to Marcos Leonardo, who finished into an open net.

Al-Hilal then settled into control, although they lacked much of their usual ball-playing quality in the absence of Ruben Neves and Salem Al-Dawsari.

Malcom operated in a free-flowing role, popping up across the pitch, but despite his assist it was largely a frustrating half for the Brazilian.

Filling a dual role in Neves’s absence was Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

Alongside his attacking duties, charging from deep into the final third, the Serbian maestro was also tasked with dictating play from midfield.

With Al-Riyadh offering little going forward in the first half, Carreno shifted his relegation-threatened side’s approach after the break.

They became far more purposeful in possession, creating danger in the 58th minute. From a corner, Toze delivered a cross that found Ibrahim Bayesh, who bundled the ball over the line to equalize.

Minutes later, Inzaghi refreshed Al-Hilal’s attacking options with the introductions of Al-Dawsari and Kaio Cesar.

The Blues were left to rue a series of missed chances, with Al-Dawsari striking the post and Borjan producing a fine save to deny Darwin Nunez.

Al-Riyadh were handed a late scare in stoppage time when Tambakti was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for time-wasting.

Moments later, Al-Hilal thought they had found a winner when substitutes Cesar and Al-Dawsari combined in the box, only for the assistant referee to raise his flag for offside.

After the draw, Al-Hilal remain top but their lead has been cut to five points over nearest challengers Al-Ahli. Al-Riyadh stay in the relegation zone, now level on points with Damac in 15th.

Elsewhere, Al-Qadsiah held off a second-half Al-Najma resurgence to secure a 3-1 victory, with goals from Julian Quinones and Mateo Retegui steering them to all three points. Brendan Rodgers’ side move up to third temporarily, just six points behind Al-Hilal on 39 points.

Meanwhile, Al-Fayha and Al-Fateh met in Al-Majma’ah, where the hosts claimed a late 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Sabri Abu Dahal and Fashion Sakala.

Action resumes on Monday with the final three fixtures of Matchday 18. Al-Hazem face Damac, before Al-Ittihad welcome Al-Okhdood in Jeddah and Al-Nassr host Al-Taawoun in Riyadh.