NASHVILLE RECAP: WEARY DECHAMBEAU LEADS CRUSHERS TO SECOND PLACE
COLLEGE GROVE, Tenn. – Such was the outpouring of love for Bryson DeChambeau at LIV Golf Nashville, it really did not matter where he finished on the leaderboard. For the record, it was an extremely commendable tied third-place finish for the bone-tired US Open champion, and a runners-up position in the team championship for his Crushers GC.
DeChambeau was feted and serenaded on every hole for his stunning display the week before at Pinehurst where he won his second US Open title and endeared himself to the public with his charm and ‘touch-the trophy’ gesture.
The Dallas resident admitted he was running on fumes at The Grove after his sapping outing at Pinehurst and the whirlwind post-tournament media tours, but there was no letting down on the intensity – neither with his clubs on the course, nor with his fan interactions off it.
In between all the madness, DeChambeau shot rounds of 67, 66 and 68 to finish tied 3rd, which was his best finish of the season and his fifth top-10 of 2024.
That 12-under par effort, combined with a tied 7th place for John Catlin (11-under), a tied 9th for Paul Casey (10-under) and a tied 18th for Anirban Lahiri (6-under), ensured Crushers finished second behind the rampant Legion XIII.
Crushers, champions in Jeddah and Hong Kong, finished second for the second time in 2024 with a team total of 35-under par, five behind the Jon Rahm-led Legion XIII, but one ahead of Torque GC thanks to 18th-hole birdies from DeChambeau and Catlin, and a storming finish by Lahiri, who was 4-under for his final four holes.
DeChambeau and his men, the defending Team Champions, are still on top of the Team Standings with 137.5 points, although their lead has now whittled down to 9.5 points following Legion XIII’s third win of the year.
All DeChambeau wanted was to be in contention on the back nine on Sunday, and even though champion Tyrrell Hatton had pulled way ahead, he fought until the end.
After Saturday’s second round, when a sold-out crowd was treated to a sparkling round of 66 by DeChambeau, he said: “I’m proud of the way that I’ve managed my energy, although I have close to zero right now, and I’ve given myself a shot for tomorrow. All I want is a shot on that back nine.
“(It was) just being able to compartmentalize, focus on the golf at hand and execute to the best of my ability. When things don’t go my way, try to feed off the crowd a little bit to get me pumped up again, and if I hit a great shot, then interact with the fans as much as possible.
“It’s what I like to do. I just feed off it no matter if it’s good or bad. They are certainly a raucous crowd, which I love. I think it’s awesome and the fans have been fantastic. Very gracious to have them out there supporting me like that.”
American Catlin, the Asian Tour Order of Merit leader filling in for the injured Charles Howell III for the second straight week on LIV Golf, proved to be the surprise package for Crushers. After a tied 24th place in Houston, the Sacramento resident showed he was up to the big stage, firing successive rounds of 5-under 66 to feature in the leader group on Sunday.
A double-bogey six on the par-4 9th hole on Sunday stopped his momentum and denied an even better finish. But he moved to 40th place in the Individual Standings and well above the Drop Zone in just two starts.
Casey, frustrated by a double-bogey seven on par-5 11th hole on the opening day, added a 68 and 65 to secure a second straight tied 9th place.
Lahiri, who was 2-over after 14 holes on Sunday and slipping down the leaderboard, came out all guns blazing after play resumed following a brief suspension. He made a routine birdie on the 2nd hole, chipped-in for another on the 3rd and then drove the green on the par-4 4th for an eagle.
STAT REVIEW
Field ranking in parentheses
Fairways Hit
DeChambeau – 36 (1)
Catlin – 32 (T11)
Casey – 33 (T7)
Lahiri – 33 (T7)
Driving Distance Avg.
DeChambeau – 336.9 (3)
Catlin – 302.0 (45)
Casey – 319.0 (22)
Lahiri – 307.5 (39)
Greens in Regulation
DeChambeau – 42 (T4)
Catlin – 42 (T4)
Casey – 38 (T16)
Lahiri – 36 (T28)
Total Putts
DeChambeau – 85 (T30)
Catlin – 85 (T30)
Casey – 81 (T6)
Lahiri – 84 (T21)
Total Birdies
DeChambeau – 17 (T7)
Catlin – 17 (T7)
Casey – 17 (T7)
Lahiri – 11 (T33)