Chicago Preview: Crushers hoping for another clean sweep in Chicago
BOLINGBROOK, IL - Last year, Crushers GC made a clean sweep of LIV Golf Chicago titles when the event was played at a different golf course. Captain Bryson DeChambeau and his men are hoping for some more of the same this year at Bolingbrook Golf Club.
The League’s defending champions are on top of the season-long Team Standings, but just. They are only half-a-point ahead of Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII. Whoever finishes ahead this week in the points will have the honor of going into next week’s Team Championship in Dallas as top seeds.
No other team can push them outside the Top Three, which means not only will the Crushers get a day off on Friday in Dallas, they also get the first choice of opponent if they retain their lead over Legion XIII.
Crushers have been dominant and consistent, but none of the four members have won an individual title in 2024, something that does not sit well with them.
Anirban Lahiri and Paul Casey came closest, before they lost in playoffs in Andalucia and Hong Kong respectively. Lahiri missed a short putt on the final hole at LIV Golf Andalucia in regulation play, while Abraham Ancer prevailed against Casey and Cameron Smith in the Far Eastern city.
DeChambeau’s best finish of the season is tied 3rd in Nashville.
“Yeah, it’s disappointing," said the Dallas resident. “I think we’re all capable every single week, and we have got a great chance to do it. We just unfortunately haven’t had the cards fall in the way that we want them.”
Lahiri, who heartbreakingly missed winning LIV Golf Chicago at Rich Harvest Farms last year following a remarkable final-round charge by DeChambeau, agreed with his Captain.
“Our consistency has been a hallmark, not just this season, but last season as well and even 2022. For as long as the four of us have been together on a team, we’ve been consistent,” said the only contracted Asian player in LIV Golf.
“We’ve all threatened to win this year, but we’ve not got an individual win, and we'd like to change that going into Dallas. That’s what keeps us focused.
“But even as a team, it’s fair to say that all four of us feel like we haven’t won enough this year. We should have won at least a couple more. I think that’s what motivates us week in, week out.”
While praising stand-in player John Catlin, Casey said Crushers missed the wisdom of Charles Howell III, who missed out on four tournaments in the second half of the season with a stress fracture in his leg.
“Obviously, Chucky is one-fourth of our team, but he's more than that. He's like the glue on our team, and not having him for a few weeks, I guess, we lost a little bit of mojo in a certain respect,” said Casey, who is No. 11 in the Individual Standing.
“We’ve got him back, so I think the fact that we haven’t won since early in the season, we’re not looking at it any other way other than we’re back at full strength. Chucky is fit and healthy and keen. So, I'd say look for us to be very, very dangerous the next two weeks.”
DeChambeau felt it was important to go to Dallas as the top seeds.
“I think the most important piece for us being No. 1 is having the freedom to choose whoever we want to go against on Saturday. That's a big crucial pick for us and gives us a little bit more freedom,” added the reigning US Open champion.
“Even though it’s no guarantee in match play, for the most part it at least gives us a pathway or an angle to hopefully give ourselves an edge. We think we’ve played some of the best golf this year, so we feel like we want to be in that No. 1 spot going into next week.”
DeChambeau has been paired with Smash captain Brooks Koepka and Dean Burmester to start Hole No. 3, while Casey is out with Taylor Gooch and Abraham Ancer from Hole No. 5.
Lahiri starts on Hole No. 7 with Adrian Meronk and Matthew Wolff. Howell, who is 31st in the season's standing despite missing out on four tournaments, will tee off on the 8th hole.