Australia in celebration at Blue Monster
Australia celebrating at the Blue Monster
The 7,701-meter-long Blue Monster, made treacherous by wind and hard greens, challenged all 54 participants, but in the end, LIV Golf Miami ended with a double victory for Australia: Marc Leishman claimed his first individual victory on the circuit, while his team, the Ripper GCs, captured the team title.
On the difficult course at Trump National Doral, Leishman won with a total score of -6, edging out Charl Schwartzel by one stroke thanks to a flawless final round of 68 with no bogey. Ripper GC triumphed with a total of +4, marking an unprecedented achievement: the first time a team has won an LIV event with a score above par.
Leishman, 41, shined in solidity, signing the only mistake-free round of the entire tournament. After the second round he was three shots behind leader Bryson DeChambeau, but he started strong with several birdies and closed with a decisive par on the 18th, hitting a four-foot putt after a tricky tee shot. “I was really looking forward to this win,” Leishman said. “After the bad round in Singapore, winning here has a special flavor.”
Schwartzel (Stinger GC) finished second at -5 thanks to an excellent 66, the best score of the day along with Carlos Ortiz. Third was Sergio Garcia (Fireballs GC), at -4, who missed a chance to go to the playoff because of a final bogey. For Leishman it is his first success in four years, a result that comes after several convincing rounds in the LIV, including three second-place finishes.
In the team tournament, the Ripper GCs (Leishman, Cameron Smith, Matt Jones and Lucas Herbert) benefited from the preparation they had done in January during a training camp just at the Blue Monster. Despite wind and cold, the strategy worked: they finished at +4, leaving behind Crushers GC (+12) and 4Aces GC (+17).
