DECHAMBEAU, CRUSHERS GC HAVE A DAY TO FORGET IN VEGAS
LAS VEGAS – Saturday’s final round of LIV Golf Las Vegas turned out to be an utterly forgettable day in the office for Captain Bryson DeChambeau’s power-packed Crushers Golf Club.
The 2023 Champion Team of the Year started the day with high hopes. Not only were they just two shots behind the leaders, DeChambeau himself was in prime position to hunt down his third LIV Golf title, after getting himself into a tie for lead following an incredible 8-under 62 round on Friday.
As it turned out, the big-hitting Texan shot himself out of contention when he pushed his tee shot on the par-4 10th hole underneath a tree from where he did not have a swing and added a bogey on the next hole. DeChambeau wound up with a 4-over 74 and had to settle for a tied 9th place at 7-under.
With Anirban Lahiri also ending with a 74, Paul Casey’s 68 and Charles Howell III’s 70 could only add up to a 6-over team total and Crushers finished outside the podium in 4th place at 18-under.
The bright spot for Crushers was the form of Casey. He was the joint leader after a 7-under par effort on the opening day, and was looking good until his momentum was stopped by a horrible lie in the bunker on the par-4 4th hole, from where he ended up making a double bogey.
The final-round 68, however, was good for a tied 5th position, Casey’s best LIV Golf finish since a 3rd place in Bangkok in the inaugural 2022 season.
The 4th place was worth 12 points for Crushers, who remain in 2nd place in the Team Standings going to Jeddah at 36 points, four behind leaders Legion XIII.
Paul Casey – T5th – 63-70-68-201 (9-under)
Casey wasn’t surprised with his opening 63, which featured an early bogey on his third hole (par-4 10th), before making eight birdies.
“I did a lot of things right. I’ve been working on the game very hard through the wintertime and had a decent result last week in Mayakoba. I just felt like I started to build some confidence out there, and it felt kind of vintage stuff. It was fun,” said Casey, who struggled with various injuries during the 2023 season.
The fifth place was on the back of his 11th finish in Mayakoba and took him to seventh place in Individual Standings with 21.83 points.
Bryson DeChambeau – T9th – 67-62-74-203 (7-under)
Eight-under par through 13 holes, DeChambeau parred in his last five holes for what he called a ‘lame’ 62. But that set up a blockbuster final round leaders pairing with eventual champion Dustin Johnson and LIV’s latest star signing Jon Rahm. His magic did not work on Saturday, but the Texan left enough hints of what is in store for the fans in the future.
The bugbear for DeChambeau was his putting as his powerful and accurate driving brought the Las Vegas Country Club (LVCC) to its knees. However, he needed 92 putts for the three rounds on what he described as "difficult greens to read."
The 9th place and 9.66 points take him to tied 20th place in the Individual Standings.
Charles Howell III – T34th – 71-68-70-209 (1-under)
In an unexpected turn of events, the ever-consistent Howell bogied his last three holes in the opening round for a 71, but it was business as usual after that, including a fighting 70 in his final round in which he made three birdies in his last six holes.
Howell remains on 14.33 points, which he earned through his 5th place finish in Mayakoba.
Anirban Lahiri – T39th – 66-70-74-210 (Even-par)
The Indian loved the looks of the tree-lined LVCC – his favorite kind of golf course – but even though he started well with a 4-under 66, his efforts were undone by a 74 on the final day. Surprisingly for Anirban, who usually makes a lot of birdies, he picked up only five shots during the week, apart from his chipped-in eagle on the par-5 first hole on Thursday. The putter (90 putts) remained cold in the cold weather of Vegas.
STAT REVIEW
Field ranking in parentheses
Fairways Hit
Casey – 28 (T7)
DeChambeau – 26 (T19)
Howell – 27 (T14)
Lahiri – 28 (T7)
Greens in Regulation
Casey – 40 (T10)
DeChambeau – 45 (2nd)
Howell – 36 (T34)
Lahiri – 36 (T34)
Total Putts
Casey – 86 (T17)
DeChambeau – 92 (T48)
Howell – 89 (T31)
Lahiri – 90 (T38)
Total Birdies
Casey – 16 (T1)
DeChambeau – 14 (T8)
Howell – 11 (T25)
Lahiri – 5 (54)
Driving Distance Avg.
Casey – 308.2 (T5)
DeChambeau – 306.8 (9)
Howell – 288.0 (39)
Lahiri – 291.7 (30)