CRUSHERS MEAN BUSINESS IN VEGAS, SO THE BRIGHT LIGHTS ARE OUT

LAS VEGAS – In one of their pre-season planning meetings, the whole Crushers team was unanimous on one thing – they were not going to stay in any of the boisterous casino hotels on the Strip for this week’s LIV Golf Las Vegas.

“It’s probably because we are a bunch of old guys and we wanted to stay away from all the noise and the crowd,” explained Anirban Lahiri. “We all value our sleep too much, but this was a conscious decision so that we are better focused on the golf course. It’s going to be a crazy week in Vegas with the Super Bowl Sunday and we don't want any distractions.

“Bryson (DeChambeau) is the only one in the 30s in our team, but in many ways, he behaves like the oldest. He’d be the happiest to stay in a quiet hotel.”

The only vice the Crushers are bringing to Sin City this week is their insatiable thirst for birdies.

And if the final round of the season-opener at Mayakoba is anything to go by, it looks like Crushers fans will have plenty to celebrate at Las Vegas Country Club (LVCC).

With all four rounds now counting towards the team total on the final days of the new LIV season, it was a superb all-round effort as Lahiri shot a 4-under par round and DeChambeau, Charles Howell III and Paul Casey all closed with solid 3-under par 68s.

The Crushers effort fell short of eventual champions Legion XIII in Mayakoba, but it was a good start to the season and the team would look to take the momentum to Vegas.

Howell was his usual consistent self and Casey was solid throughout the week. DeChambeau and Lahiri found their groove as the week progressed.

LVCC is a tree-lined, tight golf course, but it is also not the longest. It should suit a fairway-finder like Howell, or a bomber like DeChambeau, who can take out most of the dangers with his immense length.

Captain DeChambeau has already won before in Las Vegas – the 2018 Shriners Hospital for Children Open – and was eager to add to that.

“It’s going to be a special event. There’s going to be a lot of buzz around the city. It’s going to be a fun-filled event. It’s going to be electric,” said DeChambeau.

In the opening round, which will be played on a Thursday in the only event on the LIV Golf schedule that finishes on a Saturday, DeChambeau will play in a mouth-watering pairing with reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm and the PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka. The trio are off from the second tee when the shotgun goes off at 10:15 local time.