CRUSHERS MAKE IT COUNT WITH MAYAKOBA FINAL-ROUND HEROICS

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – El Camaleon was up to its old tricks during the final round of LIV Golf Mayakoba with its narrow fairways and unfathomable winds. Most players struggled to come to terms with it and the scoring average for the par-71 course was 69.8.

However, when the going gets tough, the Crushers get going.

With all four scores counting on Sunday in the new format adopted by the League, each member of the Bryson DeChambeau-led team were way above average, shooting a combined 13-under par and leapfrogging to second place.

Anirban Lahiri, with a fantastic chip-in for an eagle on the par-5 5th hole, led the way with a 4-under 67, and there were matching contributions of 68 each from DeChambeau, Charles Howell III and Paul Casey as they reached 20-under par total. That wasn’t enough to catch the runaway Legion XIII, who won the team title at 24-under, but ensured a podium start to the season for Crushers.

Howell, winner of the tournament in 2023, made a great defense of his title, eventually falling short of the playoff by four shots and finishing tied 5th at 8-under. The 44-year-old, born in Augusta, Georgia, was armed with a hot putter through the week and topped the stat category, needing just 74 putts to get through his three rounds.

Casey, fourth last year in Mayakoba, showed he was back at his best after struggling with an ankle injury during the latter part of the last season. His solid ball-striking saw him find 39 greens in regulation, but a balky putter (tied 45th in the field in putts made) robbed a few shots and he was tied 11th at 6-under with progressively improving rounds of 70, 69 and 68.

Lahiri saved his best for the last after not contributing to the team cause in the first round with an even-par 71. The 73 on Saturday wasn’t much help either, but the 67 on Sunday was worth its weight in gold. He finished tied 21st at 2-under.

DeChambeau may not have been in the form that saw him dominate golf courses as he did in the second half of the 2023 season, but the final round was brilliant where he fought back from being 2-over after the first five holes with five birdies. And just in case you did not notice, he was also No.1 in distance of the tee – a whopping average of 307.8 yards.

STAT REVIEW

Field ranking in parentheses

Fairways Hit

Howell – 19 (T14)

Casey – 19 (T14)

Lahiri – 14 (T44)

DeChambeau – 19 (T14)

Greens in Regulation

Howell – 30 (T35)

Casey – 39 (4)

Lahiri – 31 (T30)

DeChambeau – 32 (T23)

Total Putts

Howell – 74 (1)

Casey – 87 (T45)

Lahiri – 80 (T14)

DeChambeau – 79 (T10)

Total Birdies

Howell – 13 (T14)

Casey – 11 (T24)

Lahiri – 9 (T36)

DeChambeau – 9 (T36)

Driving Distance Avg.

Howell – 276.7 (49)

Casey – 283.8 (T38)

Lahiri – 286.9 (T31)

DeChambeau – 307.8 (1)