Final Round News and Notes: Niemann vs. Rahm for Individual Championship

BOLINGBROOK, Ill. – Dean Burmester and Stinger GC swept the individual and team titles in a playoff at LIV Golf Chicago, but there were plenty of other news, notes and states from the final round.

RELATED: Leaderboard | Rd. 3 recap | Video highlights

ROUND 3 NOTES

NIEMANN VS. RAHM FOR INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann will take a 12.27 points lead over Legion XIIICaptain Jon Rahm into next week’s LIV Golf Indianapolis, the regular-season finale that will determine the season-long Individual Championship.

Niemann and Rahm are the only two players still with a mathematical chance to win the Individual Championship. Niemann has 208.43 points after his tie for 17th at LIV Golf Chicago, while Rahm has 196.16 points, closing the gap thanks to a tie for second after his playoff loss to Stinger GC’s Dean Burmester.

No other player can break into the top two in points. Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau (140.74 points) will try to hold on to third place, the final bonus-paying position. The only players with a mathematical chance to catch DeChambeau are Burmester, Smash GC’s Talor Gooch and 4Aces GC’s Patrick Reed.

The Niemann vs. Rahm duel is reminiscent of last year’s regular-season finale, when the two players battled for the season-long crown in Chicago. Rahm won both the tournament and the championship.

For Rahm to have any chance of overtaking Niemann in Indianapolis, he would need to finish in at least seventh place. Niemann can clinch the title with at least a second-place finish, no matter if Rahm wins the tournament.

LOCK ZONE MOVES

Two 4Aces GC players, Harold Varner III and Thomas Pieters, made big moves into the top 24 Lock Zone. Varner tied for fifth at 7 under after shooting a final-round 6-under 65, the lowest round on Sunday. He moved from 26th to 18th in the standings. Pieters shot a 67 to tie for 10th at 5 under. He moved from 27th to 20th in the standings.

Falling out of the Lock Zone were Legion XIII’s Tyrrell Hatton (23rd to 25th) and 4Aces Captain Dustin Johnson (24th to 28th).

Cleeks GC’s Richard Bland, trying to finish in the Lock Zone for the fourth consecutive year, moved to 26th after his tie for 10th.

RELEGATION UPDATE

Wild Card player Chieh-Po Lee moved out of the Drop Zone (49th and below in points) with a tie for 13th. Lee, who earned his playing privileges this season by winning last year’s LIV Golf Promotions event, is now 45th in points.

Torque GC’s Mito Pereira also made a move, also tying for 13th, his best result in his last 19 starts dating back to last year. Pereira moved from 53rd to 49th in points but will need another points finish in Chicago to avoid relegation.

He made four birdies in his last five holes, including three straight to end his round, to help Torque force a playoff against Stinger GC for the team title.

“I've been playing really good the last couple weeks, just nothing like the score hasn't been showing,” Pereira said. “But today on the last couple holes, I had some good birdies and finished better.”

HyFlyers GC’s Andy Ogletree fell into the Drop Zone, from 48th to 50th, with a tie for 34th.

16TH SWEEP

The sweep of both the team and individual trophies by Stinger GC is the 16th time in 45 regular-season LIV Golf tournaments.

It’s the second time the Stingers have swept; they did it in LIV Golf’s inaugural event in London in 2022 when Charl Schwartzel won the individual title.

The sweep in Chicago is the fourth time this season. Sergio Garcia and Fireballs GC won both trophies in Hong Kong; Marc Leishman and Ripper GC won the titles in Miami; and Bryson DeChambeau and Crushers GC won both trophies in Korea.

5 DIFFERENT TEAM WINNERS

Stinger GC becomes just the fifth different team to win a tournament this season. Legion XIII has won four, Crushers GC and Fireballs GC have won three each, and Ripper GC has won once.

PLAYOFFS

The individual playoff Sunday was the 12th individual playoff in LIV Golf history, while the team playoff was the third. Stinger GC lost the first team playoff last year in Adelaide to Ripper GC. Meanwhile, Dean Burmester is now 2-0 in individual playoffs.

AK MATCHES BEST ROUND

Wild card player Anthony Kim shot a final-round 5-under 66, which matches his lowest round – relative to par – since his return to competitive golf last season after a 12-1/2 year absence. Kim shot 68-66 in the final two rounds at Chicago after an opening 82 to tie for 44th at 3 over.

ROUND 3 STATS LEADERS

Driving accuracy: Louis Oosthuizen, Henrik Stenson, 92.86% (13 of 14 fairways hit)

Driving distance average (for measured holes 1 and 14): Dean Burmester, 360.5 yards avg.

Longest drive (among measured holes 1 and 14): Peter Uihlein, 389.8 yards, 14th hole

Greens in regulation: Branden Grace, Louis Oosthuizen, 83.33% (15 of 18 greens)

Scrambling: Carlos Ortiz (7 of 7), Paul Casey (6 of 6), Peter Uihlein (6 of 6), Harold Varner III (5 of 5), Branden Grace (3 of 3), 100%

Putting: Harold Varner III, Thomas Pieters, Dustin Johnson, 1.39 putts per hole

Bogey-free rounds: Harold Varner III (65), Branden Grace (67), Peter Uihlein (67), Carlos Ortiz (68), Paul Casey (69)