Dean Burmester wins BIG in Chicago

The South African

2 days ago

Home » LIV Golf | Dean Burmester wins BIG in Chicago
Dean Burmester sank a birdie putt on the first playoff hole to beat Jon Rahm and Josele Ballester and win the LIV Golf Chicago title. Image: X @livgolf_league
South Africa's Dean Burmester sank a six-foot birdie putt on Sunday's first playoff hole to beat Spaniards Jon Rahm and Josele Ballester and win the LIV Golf Chicago title.
Burmester, who squandered a two-shot overnight lead with three bogeys to start his round, battled back to shoot a par-71 final round to match Rahm and Ballester on nine-under 204 for 54 holes at Bolingbrook Golf Club.
'This has been emotional,' Burmester said.
'Since before Virginia (in June) I've been going through a bit of a rough time, personal stuff. I've just been grinding and trying to get better, thinking about my wife and my kids back home, and I'm just trying to do the best I can for them.'
At the par-four 18th hole in the playoff, Ballester landed 12 feet from the hole, but Burmester, who found the rough off the tee, dropped his approach six feet from the hole while 2024 Chicago winner Rahm's ball was 10 feet away.
Ballester and Rahm missed their birdie putts and Burmester sank his for the victory.
'After three bogeys in a row to start I was like, fudge, I don't know where I'm going. My head was nowhere but I just kept at it,' said Burmester.
'To hit that out of the rough and get the right bounce and roll it in – I watched Jon's go left and I knew I hard to right line – to roll it in in front of everybody that's here is amazing.'
It was Burmester's second LIV title after last year in Miami.
Ballester, the 2023 European Amateur and 2024 US Amateur champion who turned professional in June, was in only his seventh pro event at age 21.
Rahm, Ballester, Burmester and Mexico's Carlos Ortiz, who finished fourth, shared the lead at eight-under with three holes remaining.
Burmester birdied the 16th from four feet to seize the solo lead but Ballester sank a four-foot birdie putt at 18 and Rahm made his birdie putt from five feet to force the playoff.
Burmester's horrid start signaled a final-round shootout, although his birdie at the fifth hole put him one ahead of Rahm at the turn.
Ballester birdied the par-four 10th to match Burmester for the lead and they both birdied the par-five 12th.
Ortiz joined the co-leaders with birdies at the par-three 13th and par-five 14th.
Ballester birdied 14 to seize the lead alone but Rahm birdied 15 to pull within one and when Ballester made bogey there moments later, the Spaniards shared the lead with Ortiz and Burmester.
Chile's Joaquin Niemann, a five-time winner this season, finished on 211 to share 17th but still led the season points standings ahead of defending season champion Rahm entering next week's final individual event at Indianapolis.
Burmester's Stinger GC team beat Niemann and Ortiz's Torque in a playoff for the team title.
It was a very lucrative three days for the all-South African Stinger GC team.
Burmester pocketed $4 million (R70.8 million) plus $750 000 (R13.3 million) for his share of the team prize for a total of $4.75 million (R84.1 million).
Brandon Grace finished in a tie for fifth place and banked $700 000 plus $750 000 for a total of $1.45 million (R25.7 million).
Charl Schwartzel was next best in a tie for 25th place which was good enough for a $187 500 pay cheque along with his $750 000 team share for an overall pay day of $937 500 (R16.6 million).
Stinger GC team captain Louis Oosthuizen ended in a share of 29th place which earned him $165 000 plus $750 000 for a total of $915 000 (R16.2 million). Position Player Score Earnings 1* Dean Burmester (Stinger GC) -9 $4,000,000 T2 Josele Ballester (Fireballs GC) -9 $1,875,000 T2 Jon Rahm (Legion XIII) -9 $1,875,000 4 Carlos Ortiz (Torque GC) -8 $1,000,000 T5 Harold Varner III (4Aces GC) -7 $700,000 T5 Branden Grace (Stinger GC) -7 $700,000 T5 Paul Casey (Crushers GC) -7 $700,000 T8 Thomas Pieters (4Aces GC) -5 $483,750 T8 Talor Gooch (Smash GC) -5 $483,750 T10 Peter Uihlein (RangeGoats GC) -4 $381,667 T10 Sebastian Munoz (Torque GC) -4 $381,667 T10 Richard Bland (Cleeks GC) -4 $381,667 T13 Mito Pereira (Torque GC) -3 $311,250 T13 Chieh-Po Lee -3 $311,250 T13 Marc Leishman (Ripper GC) -3 $311,250 T13 Bryson DeChambeau (Crushers GC) -3 $311,250 T17 Joaquin Niemann (Torque GC) -2 $235,000 T17 Bubba Watson (RangeGoats GC) -2 $235,000 T17 Cameron Tringale (HyFlyers GC) -2 $235,000 T17 Patrick Reed (4Aces GC) -2 $235,000 T17 Jason Kokrak (Smash GC) -2 $235,000 T17 Abraham Ancer (Fireballs GC) -2 $235,000 T17 David Puig (Fireballs GC) -2 $235,000 T17 Sergio Garcia (Fireballs GC) -2 $235,000 T25 Dustin Johnson (4Aces GC) -1 $187,500 T25 Lucas Herbert (Ripper GC) -1 $187,500 T25 Charl Schwartzel (Stinger GC) -1 $187,500 T25 Phil Mickelson (HyFlyers GC) -1 $187,500 T29 Caleb Surratt (Legion XIII) E $165,000 T29 Louis Oosthuizen (Stinger GC) E $165,000 T29 Brooks Koepka (Smash GC) E $165,000 T29 Cameron Smith (Ripper GC) E $165,000 T29 Matthew Wolff (RangeGoats GC) E $165,000 T34 Tom McKibbin (Legion XIII) 1 $145,200 T34 Martin Kaymer (Cleeks GC) 1 $145,200 T34 Andy Ogletree (HyFlyers GC) 1 $145,200 T34 Tyrrell Hatton (Legion XIII) 1 $145,200 T34 Anirban Lahiri (Crushers GC) 1 $145,200 T39 Lee Westwood (Majesticks GC) 2 $132,800 T39 Charles Howell III (Crushers GC) 2 $132,800 T39 Henrik Stenson (Majesticks GC) 2 $132,800 T39 Ian Poulter (Majesticks GC) 2 $132,800 T39 Yubin Jang (Iron Heads GC) 2 $132,800 T44 Anthony Kim 3 $126,000 T44 Adrian Meronk (Cleeks GC) 3 $126,000 T44 Sam Horsfield (Majesticks GC) 3 $126,000 T47 Jinichiro Kozuma (Iron Heads GC) 4 $121,500 T47 Ben Campbell (RangeGoats GC) 4 $121,500 T49 Kevin Na (Iron Heads GC) 5 $60,000 T49 Matt Jones (Ripper GC) 5 $60,000 51 Danny Lee (Iron Heads GC) 6 $60,000 T52 Brendan Steele (HyFlyers GC) 8 $50,000 T52 Graeme McDowell (Smash GC) 8 $50,000 54 Frederik Kjettrup (Cleeks GC) 14 $50,000 Position Team Score Earnings 1* Stinger GC -17 $3,000,000 2 Torque GC -17 $1,500,000 T3 4Aces GC -15 $250,000 T3 Fireballs GC -15 $250,000
*denotes won in a playoff
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