Head-to-head: Herbert’s 2026 UK dominance vs. DeChambeau’s 2023 Greenbrier magic
Six-shot victories don't come around often on LIV Golf. There have been four in the league’s first 56 regular-season tournaments. In addition, there is the record seven-shot win by Cameron Smith three years ago at Bedminster, site of next week’s LIV Golf New York tournament.
Of those huge wins, two stand apart from the rest - Bryson DeChambeau's demolition at The Greenbrier in 2023 and Lucas Herbert's record-breaking week at LIV Golf United Kingdom presented by JCB last week. Different formats, different courses, three years apart, but the two performances invite a natural comparison as arguably the most dominant individual showings the league has produced.
The Numbers
DeChambeau's Greenbrier win came over 54 holes, closing with rounds of 68-61-58 for a 23-under 187 total, six shots clear of runner-up Mito Pereira. His final-round 58 remains one of the most talked-about rounds in competitive golf history, a number that will likely never be threatened. Herbert's week at JCB Golf and Country Club came over the traditional 72 holes, with rounds of 61-66-69-62 for a 30-under 258, also a six-shot margin, this time over Tyrrell Hatton.
DeChambeau's 23-under total remains the LIV Golf record for a 54-hole tournament, while Herbert's 30-under is the overall league record and the record for a 72-hole tournament. Unlike Herbert’s wire-to-wire win, DeChambeau worked his way up the leaderboard – he was T25 after the first round and T3 after the second round. The scorecards offer another interesting comparison. DeChambeau made 27 birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey at Greenbrier, while Herbert made 30 birdies, two eagles and four bogeys at JCB Golf and Country Club.
Strokes Gained Total
By the metric that best captures total performance, Herbert's week was even more dominant than DeChambeau's. Herbert's strokes gained total sat at +6.48 per round for the tournament, the best mark for a single tournament in LIV Golf history, compared to DeChambeau's +4.79 at Greenbrier, which ranks 10th overall. Both were the best mark in the field by a wide margin, but Herbert's number reflects just how well he played relative to the field.
Off the Tee
This category was close to a wash. DeChambeau gained +1.37 per round off the tee, good for second in the field. Herbert gained +1.34, also second. Both players were excellent but not the week's outright leader in this category - a reminder that neither win was built on driving distance or accuracy alone. Greenbrier also marked the debut of DeChambeau's Krank Golf driver, a change he later credited as a key factor in turning around his season. “That's really ultimately what did it,” he said.
Approach Play
This is where the two weeks differ from each other the most. DeChambeau was surprisingly a net negative in Strokes Gained Approach at Greenbrier, at -0.24 per round, ranking 29th in the field, which is remarkable given his decisive margin of victory. Herbert, by contrast, gained +2.03 per round on approach, good for fifth in the field. It's the clearest evidence that Herbert's week was built on a more complete ball-striking performance than DeChambeau's, who got by with subpar iron play with his dominance in every other category.
Around the Green
DeChambeau was excellent in the short game, leading the field with +1.19 Strokes Gained Around the Green per round. Herbert was solid but far more pedestrian in this category by comparison, gaining just +0.21 per round, ranking 10th in the field. If there's one area where DeChambeau's week was the more remarkable of the two, it's here.
Putting
Both players won their weeks with the flat stick working overtime. DeChambeau led the field in Strokes Gained Putting at +2.47 per round. Herbert topped him, leading the field at +2.90 per round - the single largest strokes gained advantage either player held in any category relative to the field.
Final-Round Fireworks
DeChambeau saved his best for last, closing with a 12-under 58 that included a Strokes Gained Total figure of +8.74 for the round. Herbert also finished spectacularly, gaining +8.76 strokes on the field with his closing 10-under 62, narrowly exceeding DeChambeau’s historic final-round mark. However, Herbert’s best statistical round came in the opener. His 11-under 61 gained +9.79 strokes on the field, making it the third-best round in LIV Golf history. For perspective, the best single-round mark in LIV Golf history belongs to Joaquin Niemann, whose opening-round 59 at Mayakoba in 2023 gained +11.61 strokes on the field.
The Verdict
Both performances will be remembered as among the greatest weeks in LIV Golf League history, and both were incredibly impressive for different reasons. DeChambeau's final-round 58 is a number that may never be repeated in professional golf, but Herbert's win was the more complete performance by the underlying data - better strokes gained total, better approach play, better putting, sustained across four rounds rather than three, and punctuated by a pair of rounds (61 and 62) that individually would have been the story of most weeks.
