America’s Brendan Steele won his first title on the LIV Golf League with a two-stroke win at the tour’s one and only stop in Australia, which was played in front a large and noisy crowds at The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide.
The 41-year-old from California shot rounds of 66, 64 and 68 to finish on 18 under par and win by two from the fast-finishing Louis Oosthuizen.
Steele entered the final round with a one-stroke lead and produced a string of five consecutive birdies from the fifth hole to give himself enough of a cushion against Oosthuizen, who closed with a 7-under 65.
Two strokes further back, Andy Ogletree (65), Jon Rahm (64), Charl Schwartzel (64), Dean Burmester (67) and Joaquin Niemann (66) finished in a five-way tie for third.
“Really surreal,” said Steele, whose win was the 11th of his professional career but first since 2017. “I’m pretty overwhelmed, but to win this event is really special. I can’t say enough good things about the fans and the golf course and the whole experience this week.”
Team event goes to a play-off
The team event was a much tighter affair, with Adelaide producing the first ever team play-off after the all-Australian Rippers GC tied with the all-South African Stinger s GC on -53.
Cheered on by a boisterous crowd, it was Rippers who emerged champions, with home-town hero Cameron Smith combining with Marc Leishman in the two-a-side play-off to beat Louis Oosthuizen and Dean Burmester on the second playoff hole to capture a victory that the entire country had been hoping to experience, with more than 90,000 fans attending the three rounds of competition at The Grange Golf Course.
“This is unreal,” said Smith, standing on the 18th green and draped in an Australian flag with his teammates Marc Leishman, Matt Jones and Lucas Herbert. “It’s a dream come true for us.”
“This week has far exceeded my vision for what was ahead,” Smith added. “I think I always knew internally that Australia would really embrace LIV with the culture, with the music, with the entertainment, everything that goes on around it. I always felt like this was the place where it was going to make it big, and how it’s been the last couple of years has been just insane. Although I’m a little bit biased, last year I said this is the best tournament I’ve ever played – but I think this year it’s done it again.”
