The second round of the LIV Golf Team Championship brought a huge surprise.
Kevin Na’s Iron Heads GC, the lowest seed, knocked out Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC, who were the defending champions. Before this tournament in Dallas at Maridoe Golf Club, Na’s team had a rough season with their best finish being sixth place at LIV Golf Adelaide.
Now, with just one day left in the season, Na’s team—also featuring Danny Lee, Jinichiro Kozuma, and Scott Vincent—is one of four teams still vying for the $14 million top prize .
Unexpected Victories:
Iron Heads GC made it to Saturday’s semi-finals by first defeating Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC. Despite being seeded fifth, Koepka’s team couldn’t hold off Na’s squad. Few believed they could then beat DeChambeau’s strong lineup that included Anirban Lahiri, Paul Casey, and Charles Howell III.
But not only did they win—they dominated. Na and Kozuma teamed up in the foursomes match against Lahiri and Howell III and won 3&1. Vincent faced Casey in singles and finished 1-up. The biggest shock was Lee beating DeChambeau 2-up in his home city for a clean 3-0 sweep!
Fans might think this is one of the most thrilling upsets ever seen in golf tournaments.
Elsewhere on the course, Legion XIII faced a setback when Jon Rahm withdrew due to severe flu symptoms; John Catlin stepped in as captain. Despite this change, Tyrrell Hatton led his team to a 2-0 victory over Phil Mickelson’s Hy Flyers GC with an impressive 5&4 singles win over Andy Ogletree.
Cameron Smith’s Ripper GC also stayed in contention after defeating Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs GC 2-1. Meanwhile, Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces GC secured their spot by winning against Louis Oosthuizen’s Stinger GC.
Final Round Format:
In the final round, all players from each of the remaining teams will compete simultaneously in a shotgun start format with strokeplay rules. Each player’s score will count towards their team’s total score.
Only the four semi-final winners have a chance at claiming the championship title. The other teams will battle it out for positions five through thirteen based on their previous performances.
What do you think about these unexpected results?
