A trio of the 16 LIV Golf players in the PGA Championship field posted top-10 results at Quail Hollow, but the breakaway league missed out on a potential major title winner with Jon Rahm’s late implosion in Charlotte on Sunday.
The most recent major triumph by a LIV player was Bryson DeChambeau’s win at the 2024 U.S. Open, and he will aim for a third U.S. Open title at Oakmont next month. The 31-year-old has been LIV’s most consistent force on the major stage the past two years.
Here is a breakdown of how each of the 14 players fared at Quail Hollow:
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU (-6)
After tying for the lowest LIV Golf player at 3-under 139 through 36 holes, DeChambeau climbed into contention by reeling off five birdies through his first 15 holes on Saturday. However, he went 3 over through the closing “Green Mile” to fall six shots back entering the final round. DeChambeau drove the ball incredibly well most of Sunday but was unable to capitalize on the greens. Still, his 1-under 70 was good enough for his second consecutive runner-up at the PGA.
JOAQUIN NIEMANN (-4)
Niemann eagled his third to last hole on Friday to make the make the cut on the number, and parlayed that into his best career major finish. A hole-out eagle on the par-5 seventh was part of a 3-under 68 on Sunday that vaulted the Chilean into A T8 — his first career top-10 in a major. Niemann’s previous best major result had been a T16 at the 2023 Masters.
JON RAHM (-4)
The running joke that LIV players only compete for three days doesn’t apply here. Rahm hit only three greens on the front nine Sunday but kept himself in contention with his putter. A pair of birdies to begin his back nine saw Rahm briefly pull even with leader Scottie Scheffler. He would later rue the inability to post a birdie on 14 or 15 to apply more pressure before Rahm came undone by going 5 over through the “Green Mile.”
RICHARD BLAND (+1)
The 52-year-old Englishman equaled DeChambeau by reaching the weekend at 3 under. Bland fell out of contention with a third-round 76, but did battle back with a 70 that included an eagle.
TOM MCKIBBIN (+4)
LIV’s newest addition reached the weekend at a very respectable 1 under. After moving backward with a 74 on Saturday, McKibbin worked his way back to 2 over before bogeying his final two holes of the tournament.
TYRRELL HATTON (+6)
The fiery Englishman was on the first page of the leaderboard before imploding on the 18th hole on Friday, which was his ninth hole of the day. A drive into the water was the start of a triple-bogey that included Hatton spitting at his ball while uttering some expletives. He went 72-77 over the weekend, including three consecutive double bogeys to close out the event.
DAVID PUIG (+6)
The young Spaniard made the cut on the number and then posted a very solid 68 to get under par at 2 under through 54 holes. That momentum evaporated with three bogeys through Puig’s first five holes on Sunday, and Puig stumbled home with a 7-over 78 on Sunday.
SERGIO GARCIA (+7)
The Spaniard rebounded from an opening 75 to make the cut on the number. He might have wished he missed the weekend after carding a 79 on Saturday that was three strokes worse than any other player in the field.
FAILED TO MAKE THE CUT
John Catlin: 3-over 145
Patrick Reed: 4-over 146
Dean Burmester: 6-over 148
Cameron Smith: 7-over 149
Martin Kaymer: 8-over 150
Phil Mickelson: 9-over 151
Brooks Koepka: 9-over 151
Dustin Johnson: 12-over 154
–Field Level Media
