(LIV Golf) – While Ripper GC rode the momentum of last week’s home victory to a second straight team title Sunday at LIV Golf Singapore, Smash GC Captain Brooks Koepka lit the fuse of a hot streak he hopes will produce a successful title defense at the upcoming PGA Championship.
Led by captain Cameron Smith and veteran Marc Leishman, the all-Australian Rippers overcame any concerns of a hangover effect after their emotional victory in Adelaide, shooting a final-round counting score of 10 under at Sentosa Golf Club to win by three strokes over Fireballs GC and Cleeks GC as the 2024 season reached its halfway point.
“I kind of knew all year that we were going to get the ball rolling at some point,” said Smith, whose team finished at 32 under and moved to third in the season-long points standings. “I think internally that we’re the best team out here, and we’re going to be tough to beat when we all have our best stuff.”
Certainly, when Koepka has his best stuff, he’s nearly impossible to beat. On Sunday, he shot a 3-under 68 to finish at 15 under for a two-stroke victory over Smith and Leishman, in the process becoming the first player in LIV Golf history to win four individual tournament titles. He’ll head into the PGA Championship at Valhalla in two weeks feeling confident about his chances to win a sixth career major.
“It’s all starting to come around,” said Koepka, who became the first active LIV Golf player to win a major with his victory last year at Oak Hill. “I like the way things are trending.”
Koepka started the day with a three-shot lead, but a variety of challengers closed the gap throughout the round. Koepka never gave up the lead, though, and he bounced back from his only bogey – a three-putt at the ninth – with a birdie.
A late Leishman birdie moved the Aussie within a shot, but a bogey on his final hole gave Koepka a two-shot lead going into the par-5 18th, and he played conservative to avoid the water on the finishing hole.
“I felt the heat, but it was mainly because of how hot it was,” Koepka said. “Just played very consistent, missed it in the right spots. When you’re playing with a lead, you do that. You don’t have to force anything.”
The Rippers started the day one stroke back of Smash but grabbed the lead 11 holes into the round when Smith and Leishman heated up. The captain was six under during a 10-hole stretch en route to a 7-under 64, which tied for the lowest round of the day. Leishman was 5 under during a nine-hole stretch as he shot a 66. Matt Jones had a 70 while Lucas Herbert shot a 74 but steadied the ship after suffering a double bogey on his sixth hole.
