Cameron Smith and Lucas Herbert have delivered late clutch putts to lead all-Australian Ripper GC to their first LIV Golf Team Championship title.
The team of Smith, Herbert, Matt Jones and Marc Leishman edged 4Aces GC and Iron Heads GC to triumph outside Dallas on Sunday, bringing a close to the third season of the Saudi-backed breakaway tour.
The final round of the team championship featured 18 holes of stroke play at Maridoe Golf Club, Texas, with every player’s score combining to create their respective teams’ scores.
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The four winners in Saturday’s match-play semi-finals qualified for the final. There was a three-way tie at eight under featuring Ripper, 4Aces and Iron Heads with just a few holes for each team to finish.
Herbert, who looked as though he might have cost his team with a double bogey and a bogey on two of the par 5s, responded with four birdies over his last five holes, the final putt a 12-footer for birdie for a 69.
Smith hit a 60-yard pitch to 12 feet and holed the birdie putt on the 17th to give Ripper the lead for good, and then drilled his tee shot down the middle on the 18th that effectively sealed the win. He shot 68.
Jones birdied two of his last three holes following a double bogey. He had a 70, along with Leishman. Ripper finished at 11-under 277.
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Ripper’s official social media accounts celebrated the title with several highlights — including a photo of Jones, Smith and Herbert all embracing their partners, with Leishman standing all on his own.
His wife Audrey watched the final at home with their three children.
“Marc Leishman — the gift that keeps on giving,” Ripper GC joked.
One fan wrote: “Most relatable golf photo I have seen.”
Another said: “Yes but Marc also owns a brewery, so who’s the real winner?”
Ripper are the third different team to win the LIV team championship in three seasons.
They captured $US14 million ($A20.5m) of the $US50 million prize pool.
Each player on the winning team gets $1.4 million ($A2m) and the rest goes to the team management.
“To have those three other guys today trying to get the job done, something was telling me we were going to be all right,” Smith said.
Ripper finished ahead of a tie for second at eight under between Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces, who won the team title in the inaugural 2022 season, and the underdog Iron Heads GC.
Legion XIII — playing without captain Jon Rahm, the 2024 individual champion — placed fourth at six under.
– with Reuters