All-Australian Ripper GC make it a clean sweep at LIV Golf Miami

Veteran Australian Marc Leishman survived the Blue Monster at Trump National Doral to win his maiden individual LIV Golf title in Miami. His Ripper GC teammates joined him on the podium to celebrate their first win of the season. The all-Australian outfit had held a pre-season camp at Doral in January, and the experience held them in good stead on Sunday. 

The 41-year-old Leishman shot the only bogey-free round of the week on the final day, a 5 under par 67 to total 6 under 210, just one shot ahead of Stinger GC’s Charl Schwartzel with Fireballs GC captain Sergio Garcia another stroke back in solo third. Leishman’s Rippers won the team title with a 4-over total, the first time any team have won with an over-par score, making it the 14th trophy sweep in LIV Golf history. “It kicked our butts when we were here in January for the training camp, and it did the same again this week,” Leishman said later. “I guess it kicked our butt less than everyone else.” Schwartzel’s second was his best finish since winning the inaugural LIV Golf tournament in 2022 in London. His closing 6 under 66 matched Torque GC’s Carlos Ortiz for the low round of the day and the week and came on the back of four consecutive birdies on his back nine. 

The Augusta-bound South African bounced back from his only bogey of the day with another birdie and then finished the round with one final birdie that forced Leishman to make a 13-foot par putt to avoid a playoff. “Got on an amazing run,” Schwartzel said later. “Just hit great shots. All of a sudden, I found myself in with a chance and Leish still having 18 to play. When I was going down 1, I saw him in the trees, I thought, if I birdie, I have a good chance of getting in a playoff. But he made a great par. I played with him yesterday and he was playing great golf. But I'm very happy with my own game now.” 

Six time major winner Phil Mickelson, one of 12 LIV Golf members playing this week’s Masters at Augusta National, was in the mix till a stroke of bad luck undid his challenge. The HyFlyers captain was just one shot off the lead after six holes when his third shot caromed off the flag stick on the par-4 seventh, bounced onto the green and rolled into the water. The double bogey took the wind out of his sails, and Mickelson eventually finished in solo sixth on 1 under. “It was unfortunate,” Mickelson said. “I don't know what to say. Obviously, I hit the chip a little high on the flag, like it was going to be 12, 15 feet long, but certainly water wasn't in play. … But I hit a lot of good shots later on. I was able to make a couple of birdies, get the round back to even par and finish off a good solid tournament.” 

For Leishman, it was a first win in four years though he does have three runner-up finishes and five other top 10s since joining LIV Golf in the middle of the inaugural 2022 season. “It’s been a long time coming for Leish,” his captain Cameron Smith said. “He’s knocked on so many doors, and at times has felt probably unlucky. Even for me as a mate, I’ve felt like he’s been unlucky.” 

In Singapore last month, Leishman tied for 51st, his worst result in LIV Golf. But on a demanding course made harder by gusting wind and firm greens, Leishman was the epitome of steady, patient play. “It was pretty disgusting how I played there,” Leishman said of Singapore. 

“To come back on a golf course like this where there's trouble around every single corner, I think playing so bad in Singapore helped me today just not letting my guard down at all.” Leishman shared the lead with overnight leader Bryson DeChambeau through eight holes, but the Crushers GC captain went bogey-double bogey around the turn to effectively end his chances. The Australian’s final birdie of the day gave him a three-shot cushion and he nursed it with eight consecutive pars to end his round, never providing his challengers with an opening. 

Behind him, Garcia was 3 under during an 11-hole stretch and closed to within one shot of Leishman before ultimately Garcia bogeyed his final hole, hitting his tee shot into the trees, then finding the water with his approach. “I had an opening there with a 3-iron, and then I just needed three or four more feet, and it would’ve been great,” Garcia pointed out later. 

Leishman, one group ahead of Garcia, found the trees with his tee shot at the 18th and had to punch out. His third shot left him 13 feet above the pin, but he knocked in the clutch par putt to keep the lead. “I wanted this one pretty bad, especially having a two-shot lead teeing off 18,” Leishman said. “Probably the worst hole in the world to have – two shots is nothing on that hole. 

“I’ve played well in a lot of LIV events,” Leishman said. “I’ve had chances to win, but I haven’t won. You wonder if you’re going to win again … I doubted myself but that just made it all so much sweeter today.” 

Schwartzel and Garcia, second and third, were the best placed of the 12 who are in the Masters field this week. DeChambeau was fifth, Mickelson sixth, Patrick Reed tied seventh, Cam Smith and Jon Rahm were tied ninth, Brooks Koepka was T18, Dustin Johnson T27, and Tyrrell Hatton, Bubba Watson and Joaquin Niemann taking a share of 33rd place.