Bryson DeChambeau couldn’t hide his disappointment at LIV Golf in Andalucia after Anirban Lahiri lost a sudden death playoff hole to throw away victory
Crushers GC captain Bryson DeChambeau gave an honest reaction to his team missing out on victory at LIV Golf Andalucia after Anirban Lahiri lost a sudden death playoff hole.
The LIV Golf League took a dramatic swing during the weekend’s action in Spain as the table leaders Crushers GC tasted defeat in a playoff. Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs GC took the spoils instead after producing a remarkable finish to claim victory for their captain on home soil.
Garcia rallied from seven strokes down to win his first LIV Golf individual title on the second sudden death playoff hole against Lahiri. While team-mates Abraham Ancer and David Puig beat the Crushers captain DeChambeau and Paul Casey in the team aggregate score playoff as the Fireballs, containing three Spaniards on the team, picked up both trophies at Real Club Valderrama.
The enthralling finish was the first time in LIV Golf’s short history that a double playoff occurred and only the second team playoff after LIV Golf Adelaide earlier this year. Garcia began the day at even par, seven shots behind overnight leader Lahiri.
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But the 2017 Masters champion played perfectly for 17 holes, scoring six birdies as he reeled in Lahiri. However, Garcia suffered his only bogey of the day on the par 3 third to end on five under 66. Lahiri birdied the par 5 17th hole to put himself in control of the tournament but missed the putt for a final round 73 to drop back to five under and set up a double playoff.
Both players parred their first playoff hole as DeChambeau bogeyed the hole and Casey’s approach finished in the rough behind the green, seeing Ancer and Puig claim pars and win the Fireballs’ first team victory of the season. And it proved to be a double blow for Lahiri as he bogeyed the playoff hole, seeing Garcia celebrate victory with a par.
DeChambeau couldn’t hide his disappointment at the Crushers failing to add to their two wins this season and sent a supporting message to Lahiri, he said: “It sucks. Losing is never fun. That’s what makes winning so much better. I feel for Baan [Lahiri].”
Victory moves Garcia into 3rd place in the players’ standings, while Lahiri’s first top five finish of the season saw him limb to 16th. Despite missing out on the win, Crushers extended their lead at the top of the team standings ahead of Legion XIII, who finished 10th in Andalucia as Fireballs climbed to 6th.