DORAL, Fla. — It pays to play well in the LIV Golf League, just ask Crushers GC.
Bryson DeChambeau’s team finished at 11 under to win the 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship and claim the top prize of $14 million Sunday at Trump National Doral’s Blue Monster. Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats GC finished runner-up, with Joaquin Niemann’s Torque GC in third and last year’s champions, 4Aces GC led by Dustin Johnson, in fourth.
In contrast to LIV’s regular-season competitions, where the lowest score is eliminated every day, all four scores were taken into consideration in the final round on Sunday. Teams that lost on Saturday competed for places 5-8 (Tier 2), while teams that lost on Friday competed for places 9–12 (Tier 3). The semifinal winners competed for the top four spots (Tier 1).
But keep in mind that at LIV events, team prize money goes back to the team. The teams keep 60% of the prize money from the Team Championship, and each player receives 10%. Not bad for three days’ worth of work, at most. Here’s how much money each team earned this week near Miami.
Charles Howell III of Crushers GC, Captain Bryson DeChambeau of Crushers GC, Anirban Lahiri of Crushers GC and Paul Casey of Crushers GC celebrate after winning the team championship on Day Three of the LIV Golf Invitational – Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on October 22, 2023 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
Captain Bryson DeChambeau and Paul Casey led Crushers GC to a semifinal win over Cleeks GC to finish in Tier 1, and in the final round held on despite some late struggles to take the title.
Captain Bubba Watson of the RangeGoats GC attends a press conference during the pro-am prior to the LIV Golf Invitational – Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on October 19, 2023 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
Bubba Watson’s squad cooled off Fireballs GC in the semifinals to advance to Tier 1 and nearly fought back to take the team title from the Crushers. Three players finished under par, led by Watson, who shot a 5-under 67.
Captain Joaquín Niemann of Torque GC reacts on the seventh green during Day Two of the LIV Golf Invitational – Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on October 21, 2023 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
Joaquin Niemann’s Torque GC made quick work of Stinger GC with a semifinal sweep to play into Tier 1. Niemann was the lone player to go low (66) on Sunday as his squad finished three shots from second place.
Dustin Johnson looks on during the second round of the LIV Golf Miami golf tournament at Trump National Doral. (Photo: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports)
After a quarterfinal bye and semifinal win over Fireballs GC, the defending champions were in Tier 1 come Sunday and never got off the bus to play for the top spot. Peter Uihlein (69) and Patrick Reed (71) were the lone players under par.
Branden Grace of Stinger GC walks during Day Two of the LIV Golf Invitational – Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on October 21, 2023 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
After Stinger swept Iron Heads GC on Friday they got the brunt of the broomstick with a 3-0 defeat to Torque GC to wind up in Tier 2. Come Sunday Dean Burmester and Branden Grace each shot 5-under 67 to solidify their spot at the top of the second tier.
Captain Sergio Garcia of Fireballs GC speaks to the media during a press conference prior to the LIV Golf Invitational – Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on October 18, 2023 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
Captain Sergio Garcia had the lone win of the Fireballs’ semifinal loss to the RangeGoats on Saturday which placed the Spaniard’s team in Tier 2. In the final round Carlos Ortiz was the only player to shoot under par with the low round of the entire day at 8-under 64.
Cinderella’s party in Miami ended early on Saturday as the Cleeks – who knocked off Ripper GC on Friday – lost after lopsided defeats from Martin Kaymer and Richard Bland. On Sunday the team ho-hummed their way around the course with two scores of even and two of 2 over to finish just outside the middle of the pack.Mickelson’s HyFlyers got bounced during Saturday’s semifinals by the 4Aces after their win on Friday against wayward Smash GC. In the final round they all struggled to get going (no one worse than James Piot’s 8-over 80) and finished last in their tier.The most shocking result from Friday was Cam Smith’s Ripper GC taking the L to Martin Kaymer’s Cleeks thanks to wins from Richard Bland over Marc Leishman (4 and 3) and the three-hole playoff victory Graeme and Bernd Wiesberger earned over Matt Jones and Jed Morgan. In the final round the Aussies were the last team to finish under par thanks to Matt Jones’ 6-under 66.Brooks Koepka won his quarterfinal match against Phil Mickelson 6-and-4 in the quarterfinals, but the HyFlyers won the next two points to defeat Koepka’s Smash GC on Friday and place them in tier 3. On Sunday, Smash finished at even par to lock in their team championship position of 10th.The three-way captained Majesticks might need a new name after they lost quickly to Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs on Friday, and come Sunday bogeyed their way to the tune of a 4 over, 11th place finish.The Iron Heads were dead last all season and solidified their tier 3 position with a 3-0 loss to Stinger GC on Friday, where none of the matches reached the 18th green. It was only fitting they finished as the caboose one last time, coming in 12th after at 5 over.
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