Danny Lee wins LIV Golf Tucson in spectacular fashion with a 25-foot birdie putt on the third hole of a FOUR MAN playoff, notching his first win in nearly eight years and racking up $4 million
Danny Lee won the second LIV Golf event of his sophomore season in spectacular fashion after clinching victory on the third hole of a four-man playoff on Sunday.
Lee birdied his last two holes for a 2-under 69 before earning a playoff by making a 25-foot birdie putt from the 18th green for his first win in nearly eight years.
It was the second playoff at LIV Golf since the Saudi-funded series began last year. Dustin Johnson won the playoffs away from Boston last year.
Lee finished with a 9-under 275 and entered the playoffs with Carlos Ortiz (65), Brendan Steele (70) and Louis Oosthuizen (70). Oosthuizen bogeyed the par-5 17th to fall one behind, only to birdie the 18th to join the playoff.
Lee almost blew a great chance to win on the first playoff hole when he placed his approach 5 feet from the hole at the No. 18 on the first bonus hole. He pushed it to the right.
Danny Lee won the second LIV Golf event of his sophomore season in a dramatic playoff finale
It was his first win since the Greenbrier Classic, a former PGA Tour event, in 2015.
Carlos Ortiz (left) led the Fireballs to team victory, handily beating the 4 Aces
Ortiz was removed after the first extra hole when he went long on the 18th green, jumped 6 feet and missed the putt for par.
Returning to the 18th hole, Lee again looked like he had missed a good opportunity when his approach from the fairway missed the green to the right, leaving him in a difficult spot with the pin to the right side of the green.
Oosthuizen and Steele missed long birdie putts. Lee opted to use the putter, even though he was about 10 feet from the green. He hit it and was going fast when he rattled off the pin and disappeared for the winner.
‘I haven’t won since 2015. I thought winning wasn’t my thing. Today has changed that,’ said Lee, who signed with LIV Golf in February when he was world No. 267.
His last victory was the Greenbrier Classic, which is no longer a PGA Tour event but will be part of the LIV Golf calendar this year.
“It’s good to see that I’m able to play good golf again,” Lee said.
Lee faced Ortiz, Brendan Steele (right) and Louis Oosthuizen (left) in the four-man playoff.
Ortiz led the Fireballs to the team victory, handily beating the 4 Aces with the Lee’s Ironheads team in third place.
Charles Howell III, who won LIV Golf’s season opener at Mayakoba, had the lead after a strong start. But he hit a triple bogey on the par-3 of the eighth and then failed to birdie the par-5 of the 17th. He shot a 72 and finished one shot from the tiebreaker.
Lee earned $4 million out of the $20 million purse for the singles game, which was about as much as he’s earned in the last four seasons combined on the PGA Tour.
LIV Golf is now taking a week off before resuming at a new tournament in Orlando, Florida the weekend before the Masters.
