Riyadh
In a gripping showdown, Brooks Koepka of Smash GC successfully defended his title at the 2023 LIV Golf Jeddah, ultimately securing the victory with a playoff birdie on the 18th hole. He outlasted Talor Gooch of RangeGoats GC, who mounted a spectacular charge in the final round. Koepka expressed his astonishment at the win, saying, I really didn’t think I had a chance. I don’t know how many points Bryson (DeChambeau) had to have or to get, but I felt like I had to win. Super fortunate to kind of squeak in there. Gooch’s impressive final-round score of eight-under par (62) earned him the season’s individual title. Bryson DeChambeau, captain of Crushers GC, slipped to fourth place in the season standings, while Cam Smith, captain of Ripper GC, secured the second spot overall. Koepka advanced to third place. In the team event, Fireballs GC, led by captain Sergio Garcia, secured victory by finishing at 34-under par. They were three shots ahead of RangeGoats GC and five ahead of Cleeks GC, who achieved their first podium finish of the season in Jeddah. As the competition heads to the team championship in Miami next week, the 2022 team champions, 4Aces GC, currently hold a slim lead in the team standings with 192 points. Crushers GC follows closely with 186 points, while Torque GC and RangeGoats GC occupy the third and fourth positions with 183 and 179 points, respectively. The top four teams will advance to the semifinals at the LIV Golf Team Championship.
