With just four days left until the Masters, Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton enjoyed a week of preparation that was nearly perfect at LIV’s final event in Miami.
Both may have fallen short in the individual event at Trump Doral National, but their strong performances throughout the weekend led Legion XIII to win the team tournament.
Both Hatton and Rahm finished three shots behind surprise winner Dean Burmester and runner-up Sergio Garcia, who needed a two-hole playoff to separate themselves as the sun set in South Florida.
Hatton, the fiery Englishman, also looked set to win the individual title at one point. But with the margins so fine, the bogeys on the 10th and 16th were costly.
Otherwise, it was a solid final round for Hatton before heading to Georgia and aiming to win her first major title.
Tyrrell Hatton and Jon Rahm combine to win the team event at LIV Miami before the Masters
Hatton and Rahm finished three shots off the top and also worked hard in the team event.
The Englishman is a candidate to win the Masters next week, if he can control his emotions
Former President Donald Trump watched the action unfold with LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman
Surprisingly, a statistic circulating on social media this week revealed that over the past 20 years, the average Masters winner was 32 years old, ranked 17th in the world and had made eight previous starts at Augusta.
Hatton turned 32 in October, is currently ranked 17th in the world and this year will mark his eighth Masters appearance.
The stars seem to have aligned, although Hatton is not one for omens.
He said: ‘To be fair, spending the weekend in that place (Augusta) is almost like having a green jacket. “It’s a place where I’ve done pretty poorly, so I think I’ll probably ruin that statistic.”
If this is going to be Hatton’s year at golf’s most iconic venue, then the passionate Englishman will have to keep his cool.
There was usually some foul language as his round unfolded and he expressed frustration with some wayward shots, notably on the 10th green after missing a putt to save par. After his bogey on 16, he threw his ball into the water.
As for Rahm, he was solid, if not spectacular, all week.
The reigning Masters champion arrives at Augusta National without having won in a year, at least on an individual level.
Just when the team event seemed to be fading here, Rahm stepped up with a 33-foot birdie on the 17th to claim a share of the $3 million team prize as Legion XIII won for the second time in five LIV events this year .
Speaking after his round, Rahm said: “Any time you can go to a challenging and demanding golf course before a Major, I think it’s a very good way to prepare for it.”
‘The greens were fast, difficult and that makes you have the mentality of fighting for every shot. “I think it was a great week and I hope I can continue doing all the good things I’ve done.”
South African Dean Burmester was impeccable on Sunday and took home the $4 million prize.
However, Sergio GarcÃa suffered more pain by losing another LIV Golf playoff.
There was more heartbreak for another member of the 13 rebels heading to the Masters when Sergio Garcia lost his third LIV Golf playoff and second this year.
The former Masters champion, who is yet to win since joining the Saudi-funded league when it launched in 2022, looked headed for victory when he holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole.
The pendulum swung further towards Garcia when Burmester, playing in the group ahead of the Spaniard, bogeyed the 18th.
As victory stared Garcia in the face, he somehow missed a four-foot putt on the 18th hole. Both he and Burmester finished at 11 under par, one stroke ahead of Matthew Wolff.
Both made par on the 18th hole of the first playoff hole after managing to recover from approach shots that found the back of the green.
The second time, Garcia fell short of the green and fell into the water on the left side. Burmester made a three-foot par putt to take the win, giving him the $4 million prize.
“I’ve been on the receiving end of this,” Burmester said. ‘I felt like I played very well. I have not done it. Sergio gave me a lifeline.’