Bryson DeChambeau’s theatrics lead Crushers GC to LIV Golf team championship

DORAL — Bryson DeChambeau is no ordinary golfer. He has captivated audiences with his skill and charisma like no one else in recent memory.

It doesn’t matter which tour he plays on or how he transforms his body. DeChambeau’s performance on Hole 16 at the LIV Golf team championship at Doral on Sunday was nothing short of mesmerizing, leaving spectators in awe.

DeChambeau’s drive on the 330-yard, par-4 No. 16 soared over the green, rebounded off the roof of the hospitality suites, and landed on the front fringe, 109 yards from the 16th hole.

Instead of taking a drop, DeChambeau saw an opportunity. He skillfully hit a wedge back over the suites, aptly named Birdie Shack, stopping just outside 20 feet from the hole.

The birdie putt ultimately secured the team championship for DeChambeau’s Crushers.

Even Jan DeChambeau, Bryson’s mother, was amazed. And she has witnessed her son’s many golfing feats.

“That shot over 16 Birdie Shack, I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Jan exclaimed.

DeChambeau, Paul Casey, Charles Howell, Anirban Lahiri celebrate the win

It took two extra holes to secure victory, but DeChambeau’s final putt on No. 18 triggered a joyous celebration with his teammates Paul Casey, Charles Howell, and Palm Beach Gardens’ Anirban Lahiri. The Crushers consistently led throughout the day, finishing two shots ahead of Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats.

“Not only is he the most dynamic player on the planet,” Casey praised DeChambeau, “but he’s also an exceptional captain.”

DeChambeau carded a 67, two shots behind teammate Lahiri, who not only achieved his best finish of the season but also did so at a crucial moment. The Crushers will now claim the winners’ prize of $14 million, with $8.4 million going into the team fund and each player earning $1.4 million.

“We’ve wanted to win this for a long time,” DeChambeau expressed. “I couldn’t be happier with this team. They worked relentlessly. I’m absolutely thrilled.”

Howell added, “I’m grateful every time I looked up and saw Bryson and Ban making another birdie.”

However, it was DeChambeau who drove the team’s success, both throughout the season and on Sunday. While Lahiri contributed immensely with three consecutive birdies on the front nine, it was DeChambeau’s exceptional putting on the Blue Monster that maintained their lead.

“Incredible doesn’t even begin to describe it,” commented LIV commissioner and CEO Greg Norman. “On holes 15, 16, 17, he sank putts totaling 120 feet. That shot on 16 will be talked about for years to come.”

DeChambeau, who boasts eight PGA Tour victories, including the 2020 U.S. Open, admitted to feeling nerves with the team championship on the line. This led to him hitting his drives with excessive force, as exemplified on hole 16.

“I was extremely nervous coming down the stretch,” he confessed.

DeChambeau has fully embraced the business side of LIV Golf as one of the 12 team captains entrusted with marketing their respective franchises and building their brands.

While DeChambeau had considered using a significant portion of the prize money (Sunday’s $14 million allowed the Crushers to reach a total season earnings of $23.5 million) to enhance the team’s financial resources and strengthen their brand, he also had a personal score to settle.

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DeChambeau had been in line for a $4 million bonus for finishing third in the individual standings. However, Brooks Koepka forced a playoff with Talor Gooch in the final individual event in Jeddah and emerged as the victor on the second sudden death hole.

This outcome pushed Koepka ahead of DeChambeau in the final points standings, and with it came the hefty bonus, but for Koepka.

“It was a disappointing end,” DeChambeau remarked.

But Sunday’s team victory more than made up for that disappointment.

“When you win as a team, it surpasses any individual achievement,” DeChambeau declared.

“And when you have the team you desire, the players will consistently deliver.”

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: How Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC won the LIV Golf team championship