Joaquín Niemann added to his record number of tournament wins and Jon Rahm clinched another season-long individual championship on a day that reflected their success on LIV Golf.
Rahm secured his third consecutive season title — 2024, 2025, and 2026 — while Crushers GC claimed the team title Sunday at LIV Golf New York. Niemann, meanwhile, fought off Harold Varner III to win the ninth individual tournament title of his LIV Golf career, extending his all-time record, and his second win of the season.
Crushers GC’s win in Bedminster was also their 11th regular-season team title in LIV Golf. Their success has been built on a core roster that has remained together since 2022 under captain Bryson DeChambeau.
Paul Casey led the way for the team Sunday with a 3-under 68, backed by steady rounds from Anirban Lahiri and Charles Howell III as DeChambeau’s group held off both Legion XIII and Torque GC down the stretch.
Torque GC’s push was fuelled once again by Niemann, whose closing 2-under 69 sealed his win by three shots and pushed him to 16-under for the week, three shots clear of Varner III.
Niemann said the pressure of the final round only sharpened his game. “That’s when I love it,” he said. “I feel like we like to be in our kind of comfort place, and I feel like the more they push me, the better golfer I’m going to become from every experience that I experience.”
He added, “I was just hoping to be this way, be as exciting as it was, and then to be able to hit the shots that I did and make the putts that I did coming down the stretch.”
RAHM COMPLETES THREE-PEAT
Rahm’s individual championship-clinching week came despite a poor final round of 5-over 76, with Caleb Surratt (71) and Tom McKibbin (72) doing the heavy lifting for Legion XIII.
For Rahm, the third straight title came despite a rough week individually, where he finished T41. The Legion XIII captain was candid about his difficult stretch over the past two LIV Golf events.
“Yeah, the last two weeks haven’t been the best, have they,” Rahm said. “I would say proud of earlier in the season. I think to start off as well as I did with a few second places and not getting the win and then going to Hong Kong and getting it done when I needed to, having a lead and then basically losing it and birdieing four in a row in the last few holes was probably the most proud moment.”
He added, “It’s been a great year, but playing as badly as I have this week has left a little sour taste in the mouth. But it’s been something to be proud of. After last year and not getting the win, having possibly a question mark over the season-long race, to win twice and do it effectively and win it again definitely feels good.”
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