After 28 tournaments, a LIV Golf event finally came down to a team playoff.
Ripper GC, the all-Australian team led by Cameron Smith, emerged victorious over the South African Stinger GC squad on the second playoff hole on Sunday at the 2024 LIV Golf Adelaide held at the Grange Golf Club in Adelaide, Australia.
“This is unreal,” exclaimed Smith after the playoff, standing alongside teammates Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, and Lucas Herbert. “It’s a dream come true for us.”
In LIV’s team playoff format, the lowest cumulative score wins, with all four players competing and each score counting.
“You couldn’t have asked for a better place to have the first playoff,” noted Oosthuizen. “The outcome with the Rippers winning couldn’t have been scripted better. We had our chances. We had two putts on the first hole. And I hit a good putt on the second playoff hole as well. Some days they go in, some days they don’t.”
On the individual side, 41-year-old Brendan Steele secured the trophy with a 4-under 68 to finish at 18 under, edging out Stinger captain Louis Oosthuizen by one shot.
“Really surreal,” expressed Steele, reflecting on his first win since the 2017 Safeway Open on the PGA Tour. “I’m pretty overwhelmed, but winning this event is truly special. I can’t praise the fans, the golf course, and the entire experience this week enough.”
According to LIV, over 90,000 fans attended the tournament over the three days of play.
Oosthuizen (65) ended at 17 under just ahead of five players tied for third at 16 under: Andy Ogletree (65), Jon Rahm (64), Charl Schwartzel (64), Dean Burmester (67), and Joaquin Niemann (66).
The league will move to Sentosa Golf Club next week, from May 3-5, for the 2024 LIV Golf Singapore, where Talor Gooch and RangeGoats GC will aim to defend their individual and team titles.
