WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. – Bryson DeChambeau sensed his game was close to delivering something special. Sunday in the LIV Golf-Greenbrier was more than he imagined.
DeChambeau became the fourth player on a top-level tour to shoot 58, making birdie on his last four holes to finally capture his first LIV Golf title at the rain-softened Greenbrier.
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DeChambeau holed a 35-foot putt on the par-3 18th and leapt in the air with both arms extended to celebrate his lowest score ever and first LIV victory.
“Probably the greatest moment in my golf career,” said DeChambeau, a former U.S. Open champion who won for the first time since March 2021.
Jim Furyk had a 58 in the Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour in 2016, while Ryo Ishikawa at The Crowns in 2010 and S.H. Kim at the 2021 Golf Partner Pro-Am each shot 58 on the Japan Golf Tour.
What made DeChambeau's round stand out was he shot 58 with a bogey.
“Oh my God. Do you believe that?” DeChambeau said after his big putt as a steady rain fell on the Old White course at Greenbrier Resort.
DeChambeau finished at 23-under 187 for a six-shot victory over Mito Pereira, earning the $4 million payoff for the individual competition.
The Greenbrier previously hosted a PGA Tour event for nine years. In the inaugural Greenbrier Classic in 2010, Stuart Appleby shot 59 in the fourth and final round to win.
DeChambeau opened with six birdies in seven holes, and then saved his best for the end when he ran off four straight birdies, two of them on par 3s. The former U.S. Open champion has said he was getting close with his equipment and his swing, and it paid off in a big way.
“It’s beyond words,” DeChambeau said. “I’ve been working so hard for a long time, and I knew something special was going to come at some point, I just didn’t know when. ... Then today I just kind of felt everything clicking.”
Three other players have shot 58 on secondary tours — Stephan Jaeger in the 2016 Ellie Mae Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour; Alejandro del Rey in 2021 Swiss Challenge on the Challenge Tour; and Jason Bohn in the 2001 Bayer Championship on the Canadian Tour.
The record for professional golf is David Carey, who shot 57 in the 2019 Cervino Open on the Alps Tour.
DeChambeau took only 119 shots over the weekend at the 54-hole LIV Golf event. He shot a 61 on Saturday to get within one shot of Matthew Wolff, and then blew everyone away. Wolff shot 66 and tied for third with Richard Bland (65) and David Puig (66).
Torque won the team competition by three shots over the Crushers team led by DeChambeau.
DeChambeau had a chance at a sub-60 round on the PGA Tour two years ago at Caves Valley in the BMW Championship until missing birdie putts from 15 feet and 6 feet on the last two holes for a 60.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf