LIV Golf Dallas Rd. 3 News and Notes: Garcia claims Open exemption

LIV Golf Dallas Round 3 Notes

GARCIA CLAIMS OPEN EXEMPTION

Fireballs GC Captain Sergio Garcia secured the coveted LIV Golf Open Championship exemption with a gritty 2-under-par 70, edging out a handful of competitors including his Fireballs GC teammate David Puig.

RELATED: ROUND 3 RECAP | LEADERBOARD | RD. 3 HIGHLIGHTS

Although Garcia did not earn any points in Dallas, finishing tied for 25th at 3 over, he was the highest-placed LIV Golf player inside the top five through the season’s first nine events without an exemption.

Garcia is fifth in the season-long Individual Championship points race behind Joaquin Niemann, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Dallas winner Patrick Reed, each of whom already have an exemption into the Open.

Garcia will make his 26th Open appearance and 102nd major championship start at Royal Portrush next month.

“It's going to be my second time playing at Royal Portrush, and it's obviously nice,” Garcia said. “It's one of the goals that you have at the beginning of the year, to try to play as many majors as you can with the limitations that we have.

“I didn't help myself very much the last three months, but I'm glad that I got enough work done in the first third of the year, I guess, in the first part of the season. I'm excited about it, and hopefully I'll play well.”

RECORD ATTENDANCE

LIV Golf Dallas welcomed more than 50,000 fans across the three-day event, including Saturday’s concert by Whiskey Myers.

Saturday’s attendance of more than 20,000 set a new LIV Golf single-day record in the U.S.

The tournament had ticket buyers from all 50 states and 17 different countries.

RAHM’S FIRST NON-TOP 10

Legion XIII Captain Jon Rahm did not finish inside the top 10 for the first time in a completed tournament since joining the league prior to last season.

Rahm shot a final-round 73 to finish at 3 under, tied for 11th. Entering this week, Rahm had finished in the top 10 in all 20 regular-season starts; his only non-top 10 was a WD last year in Houston.

Rahm was tied for 10th near the end of the round until Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau birdied his final hole, which moved him into a tie for ninth and dropped Rahm one spot.

OOSTHUIZEN, KOZUMA PLAYOFF REACTION

Stinger GC Captain Louis Oosthuizen and Iron Heads GC’s Jinichiro Kozuma each shot 4-under 68s – among the lowest rounds of the day – to make the four-man individual playoff won by Patrick Reed.

For Oosthuizen, it’s the third playoff he’s participated in since joining LIV Golf. He was part of the four-man playoff in Tucson in 2023 won by Danny Lee, and he and teammate Dean Burmester were in a team playoff in 2024 Adelaide won by Ripper GC.

“It’s always nice being in a playoff,” said the South African. “It means you’ve done something right. I hope one of these days, one of those come my way.”

Kozuma played well for the second straight year at Maridoe; he was a key part of the Iron Heads’ second-place finish in the 2024 Dallas Team Championship. He missed the first five tournaments this year with a back injury but has been in impressive form since his return; he’s already 29th in the points standings. The tie for second is his team’s best individual result since Lee’s win in Tucson.

“Right now, I'm playing really well,” said the Japanese native. “I hope I play better in the other events coming up.”

23RD DIFFERENT WINNER

With his first LIV Golf individual title, Patrick Reed becomes the 23rd different player to win an individual trophy on LIV Golf. All four playoff participants were seeking their first LIV Golf wins.

POINTS MOVERS

Crushers GC takes over the top spot from Legion XIII in the season-long teams point race with their third consecutive win, while 4Aces GC moves into fourth place ahead of Ripper GC.

Individual winner Patrick Reed moved up 14 spots into fourth place in the individual points standings, while Paul Casey moved up 16 spots into 14th with his tie for second.

TRINGALE WITH LOW ROUND

HyFlyers GC‘s Cameron Tringale shot the lowest score on Sunday, a 5-under 67 that left him in a tie for ninth at 4 under.

ROUND 3 STATS LEADERS

Driving accuracy: Jinichiro Kozuma, 85.71% (12 of 14 fairways hit)

Driving distance average (for measured holes 13 and 18): Jon Rahm, 359.3 yards avg.

Longest drive (among measured holes 13 and 18): Jon Rahm, 385.8 yards, 18th hole

Greens in regulation: Jinichiro Kozuma, Charles Howell III, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia, Andy Ogletree, 77.78% (14 of 18 greens)

Scrambling: Tom McKibbin (7 of 7), Cameron Tringale (5 of 5), 100%

Putting: Cameron Smith, Adrian Meronk, 1.33 putts per hole

Bogey-free rounds: none