Gooch claims back-to-back LIV Golf titles with Singapore win

First place Particular person Champion, Talor Gooch, poses with the trophy and his caddie Malcolm Baker after the trophy ceremony of LIV Golf Singapore on the Sentosa Golf Membership on Sentosa Island in Singapore on April 30, 2023.
| Picture Credit score: AP

Talor Gooch grew to become the primary participant to win back-to-back LIV Golf titles after a playoff gap victory in opposition to Sergio Garcia on the LIV Singapore event at Sentosa Golf Membership on Sunday.

Gooch and Garcia shadowed one another for many of the opening two rounds and the ultimate spherical was no totally different, with each the American and Spaniard by no means greater than stroke aside as they completed at 17-under 196 to pressure a playoff.

On the first playoff gap, the par-5 18th, Gooch skirted with the water hazard together with his tee shot however performed a close to good second shot into the center of the inexperienced the place he simply two-putted for birdie.

Garcia’s second shot on the playoff gap discovered the greenside bunker and the Spaniard was unable to make his birdie giving Gooch his second successive win and a $4 million prize.

For Gooch, it’s the ninth time he’s both led or shared a lead after an LIV spherical, probably the most of any participant. He’s now led or shared the lead within the final six rounds.

“It’s one of those days that I’ll remember,” stated Gooch. “I grew up watching Sergio. He’s one of the greatest golfers of this generation. To go and battle with him and come out on top is something I’ll never forget.”

Twice LIV Golf event winner Brooks Koepka shot 67 to complete third at 16-under 197, one shot forward of Scott Vincent (67) of Zimbabwe, who had briefly threatened to make it a four-way battle for the title earlier than a bogey on the par-4 fifteenth stalled his momentum.

British Open champion Cam Smith (71) completed in a tie for sixth after he combined common birdies with bogeys for an excellent closing spherical and an general rating of 12-under 201.

Phil Mickelson shot a 72, with two double bogeys in his closing spherical, to fall down the leaderboard right into a tie for thirteenth.

Like the primary spherical, the ultimate spherical Sunday was delayed for greater than an hour after 13 holes of the shotgun format as a result of extreme climate within the space.

Garcia, who started his spherical on the primary gap with Gooch within the shotgun-start format, birdied three of the primary 9 holes to keep up the lead with the American, who had 4 birdies and a bogey earlier than 9 consecutive pars.

Garcia gained the Singapore Open at Sentosa in 2018 and had performed bogey-free golf within the first 47 holes however two bogeys on the par-4 twelfth and fifteenth hampered his efforts of a repeat victory right here.

On the par-5 18th in regulation, Gooch had 41-foot putt for eagle which narrowly missed to the left of the cup. The 31-year-old American simply made his birdie to place the stress again on Garcia.

The Spaniard responded by calmly making birdie from 11 ft to pressure the playoff.

The following occasion is at Tulsa, Oklahoma beginning Could 12.