Last Look: HSBC LIV Golf Hong Kong notes, stats, superlatives and more

After an uncharacteristically long stretch outside of the winner’s circle, Legion XIII Captain Jon Rahm reminded the golf world why he’s one of the most talented players on the planet and nearly unbeatable when operating with his “A” game. The Spaniard delivered rounds of 66-62-65-64 to earn a three-shot victory over Thomas Detry at HSBC LIV Golf Hong Kong.

4Aces GC broke a winless streak of their own, achieving their first team victory since LIV Golf London in 2023. The Aces were led by Detry (2nd) and Thomas Pieters (3rd), while Dustin Johnson finished T24 and LIV Golf Adelaide winner Anthony Kim finished T31.

Here is a last look at some of the notable performances from LIV Golf Hong Kong.

ROUND OF THE WEEK 

Carlos Ortiz of Torque GC started off the week with a bang, firing a 10-under 60 that included nine birdies, an eagle and a bogey. The Mexican played an eight-hole stretch of holes 10-17 at 8 under. 

Ortiz ultimately finished T6. 

CLUTCH PERFORMANCE 

After Jon Rahm finished second in back-to-back weeks to start the season, another runner-up finish would have been a major let down for one of the best players on the planet. Instead of leaving the outcome to chance, Rahm went out and took the tournament decisively, shooting a final-round 64 that included eight birdies.

UNDER THE RADAR PERFORMANCES 

Caleb Surratt: After a miserable start, shooting a 5-over 75 in the first round, the league’s second-youngest player didn’t give up. Surratt responded with rounds of 64-64-65 to finish T18, which is the best finishing position by a player after being in the bottom three of the leaderboard after the first round in LIV Golf history.

Matthew Wolff: It may not have gone completely under the radar, but Wolff finishing in the top 5 for the first time in almost two years is certainly notable. The 26-year-old shot rounds of 65-64-69-65 and has put together three good starts in a row and is trending statistically. Wolff is far too talented of a player to give up on and it seems as if he’s getting close to rediscovering his peak form.  

Lee Westwood: Westwood finished T18 in his first start of the season after missing starts in Riyadh and Adelaide to begin the year. The strong performance is a welcome sight for Majesticks Golf Club, which has struggled to compete over the past few seasons. If the veteran can put together a vintage season, it would go a long ways in getting the Majesticks out of the basement.

STATISTICAL STANDOUTS 

Carlos Ortiz: Ortiz put on a clinic with his irons and gained 8.84 strokes on approach, which led the field. The Torque GC star was particularly dialed with his wedges. He gained over seven of the 8+ strokes on approach from 150 yards and in.

Bryson DeChambeau: DeChambeau led the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (+3.49). Hong Kong Golf Club is a second-shot golf course, which explains why the Crushers GC captain didn’t feature on the leaderboard, but his dominance off the tee is a good sign for next week and beyond. 

Thomas Detry: Detry gained 7.66 strokes putting, which was the best in the field by a wide margin. David Puig was the second-best putter in the field and gained 5.78. He has now finished in the top 5 of the leaderboard in half of the rounds he has played on LIV Golf (6/12). 

VETERAN RESURGENCE 

Graeme McDowell: For the second consecutive start, McDowell earns his place in the veteran resurgence category. The Smash GC veteran shot rounds of 67-63-70-66 to finish at 14 under and T8 on the leaderboard. He also made a hole-in-one with a seven iron at the 192-yard fifth hole. 

“I think that's about 15,” he said reflecting on his past aces. “They're all kind of becoming a bit of a blur over the years.

“They're all fun. They're all special. Nice to do it with a card in your pocket in a tournament. I think that's probably half a dozen, maybe, in tournament play.”

YOUNG GUN SPOTLIGHT 

Elvis Smylie: After winning in Riyadh, it would have been understandable for the youngest member of Ripper GC to have a letdown over his next few events. Smylie, however, still believes he has plenty to prove. This week, the Australian shot rounds of 68-65-67-66 to finish T8. 

WHO'S TRENDING 

Thomas Pieters: It was a great week for Pieters, who earned his first podium finish of his LIV Golf career. The addition of Detry to the 4Aces hasn’t only helped the team win, but it’s also seemed to help Pieters play comfortably on the team with his longtime friend. Pieters has now finished in the top 4 of two of his three starts this year. 

Sergio Garcia: Garcia finished T8 as the defending champion and is quietly playing some very good golf to start the season. His underlying metrics indicate that a spike performance could be imminent. Garcia ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Approach so far this season. 

Louis Oosthuizen: Oosthuizen finished T8 this week, but it was more so how he did it than where he finished. The Southern Guards GC captain gained 5.84 strokes on approach, which ranked 6th in the field and is the most he’s gained in the category since joining LIV Golf. Last year, Oosthuizen finished T5 in Singapore. He’s a player to watch out for in the upcoming week at Sentosa.  

Smash GC: They may have lost Brooks Koepka, but Smash GC is a much different, and better, team in 2026. Revitalized by Talor Gooch, a player who energizes his team, Smash finished 2nd in Hong Kong and are clearly a more in sync unit. 

QUOTES OF THE WEEK 

Jon Rahm on feeling relieved after breaking his long winless streak ... 

“Very relieving. That's the only way I can describe it. I've been very ecstatic for wins in the past. This one just feels like a big weight off my shoulder. That's all I can say.” 

Dustin Johnson on the 4Aces earning their first team win since London in 2023 ... 

“It feels good. Obviously, it's always good to be on top. To finally get a win after a few years without having one, very proud of the guys. Obviously, yeah, we have a completely new team, but I think we have a very strong team. I'm very happy with them.” 

Anthony Kim on playing for a team ... 

“I didn't think that I would care as much just because I hadn't been on a team about trying to scrap out one more stroke. But I definitely felt like they're counting on me, they're grinding as hard as they can, I need to keep doing my best, even if the score is not great. It gives you a little motivation to play better for the team.” 

Matthew Wolff on rebounding from mistakes ... 

“Yeah, I think when you play bad enough for long enough, you start to realize that you can't put too much focus on it. You've just got to pay attention to the good. I knew I couldn't do anything about the past couple bad putts and stuff that I missed, just got to keep plugging away, which I was happy I did. I've gotten a lot stronger mentally, which has been nice.” 

Thomas Pieters on his first podium finish on LIV Golf and losing to Jon Rahm ... 

“I played very, very good all week actually. Obviously I can't control the fact that Jon is unbelievable at golf. Seeing him place second, it's very satisfying. Being from such a small country, I remember at our local golf course, we'd be chipping and putting, and to be on the biggest stage and finish 2, 3 or actually have a shot at winning a tournament or going up against him, it's pretty freaking cool.”