While Taylor Moore was picking up his first PGA Tour trophy, it was Danny Lee who secured a first LIV Golf title in style, with the 32-year-old overcoming a four-man playoff that included Carlos Ortiz, Louis Oosthuizen and Brendan Steele.
As the final day got underway, Marc Leishman held a two shot lead over Sergio Garcia, as the Australian looked to win his first title on the LIV circuit. However, Leishman faltered badly on Sunday, as a five-over-par final round dropped him all the way down into a share of 13th place.
With Leishman struggling, it was the season opening winner, Charles Howell III, who took the early advantage, with the American coming out of the blocks on fire as he birdied four of his opening six holes.
However, Howell’s advantage was soon reduced to one, as a triple bogey-birdie run put him just ahead of a congested leaderboard. Not long after the dropped shots, his lead was wiped out altogether with just a handful of holes remaining.
As Howell struggled, Oosthuizen took the initiative and, with six holes to go, he held a two shot lead over Howell and recent LIV signing, Steele. Looking to win his first LIV title, the former Champion Golfer of the Year began to suffer, with three dropped shots meaning he fell one back of a three-way tie for first. These include Ortiz, Lee and Steele.
Miraculously though, Oosthuizen mustered up a clutch birdie at the 54th hole, with a four-man playoff set to grace our screens in Tucson. At the first hole, it was Ortiz who bowed out, with the Mexican producing a bogey that cost him a shot at a possible maiden win. It’s worth noting that it was a great effort from Ortiz, who had started eight shots back off the lead going into the final day.
Three remained then and, after all hitting their approach shots into the 18th, it was Lee who held the advantage. However, the New Zealander couldn’t convert a very makeable birdie putt to wrap up the $4 million first prize.
As we headed up the 18th for a third time, there was no such mistake from Lee this time around, with his putt from just off the edge of the green smacking the pin and dropping in for an extremely unlikely birdie. In the process, the 32-year-old picked up his first LIV Golf title in just his second start.