New York (AFP) – Jon Rahm captured his third consecutive LIV Golf season crown on Sunday while Chile’s Joaquin Niemann took a wire-to-wire victory at LIV Golf New York for a record ninth series title. Niemann fired a two-under par 69 to finish 72 holes on 16-under 268 and defeat American Harold Varner III by three strokes at Trump National Bedminster in New Jersey.
“The more they push me, the better golfer I became from every experience,” Niemann said. “I was just hoping to be able to hit the shots I did and make the putts that I did coming down the stretch. I put the credit on myself.” England’s Lee Westwood and Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe shared third, both seven off the pace.
Related news
Rahm finished tied for 41st after firing a closing 76 Sunday, but clinched the season trophy with an unassailable 219-point lead over Bryson DeChambeau going into the finale in two weeks at Indianapolis. Rahm, whose 2025 season crown came despite no victories, won this year at Hong Kong in March and Mexico City in April. He also had runner-up efforts in Riyadh, Adelaide, South Africa, and Andalucia.
“It has been a great year,” Rahm said. “A little sour taste in my mouth because of how badly I played this week, but it has been something to be proud of. And after last year not getting a win and possibly having a question mark over the season-long race to win twice effectively and win it again, definitely feels good.”
Rahm was proud of his early season performances, with two wins, three seconds, and a fifth in the first six tournaments of 2026. “Proud of earlier in the season. I think to start off as well as I did with a few second-places and not getting in the way,” Rahm said. “Then going to Hong Kong and getting it done when I needed to, having a lead and then losing it and then birdieing four in a row in the last few holes was probably the most proud moment.”
Niemann, who opened with a bogey at the first hole but birdied the par-three seventh, sank a 56-foot birdie putt at the 13th hole and a long eagle putt at the 15th to seize a four-stroke edge on Varner. A bogey at 17 only trimmed his victory margin. Crushers, with DeChambeau as captain, won the LIV Golf New York team title on six-over par, defeating Legion XIII and Torque by two strokes.
© 2024 AFP
