NEWS AND NOTES: PEREZ COMES UP BIG FOR 4ACES IN LONDON
Cameron Smith won the individual title and 4Aces GC won the team trophy at LIV Golf London, but there were plenty of other news and notes from the final round at Centurion Club.
PEREZ COMES UP BIG: Pat Perez isn’t the most heavily decorated member of the 4Aces GC, especially with captain Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed having major credentials. But on Sunday, he raised his game when the team needed him most, contributing a 5-under 66 that was vital to the 4Aces’ win at LIV Golf London.
“We have guys that are always going to play well,” Perez said. “Being able to step up my game enough this year to actually help and contribute for one, it’s actually been satisfying for me. Last year, I didn’t do anything, which kind of sucks. I knew coming into the season I had to be a better player than I was, and I’ve worked hard at it to try to help a lot and contribute.”
Perez did not play in LIV Golf London last year, joining the league for the next event in Portland. He was part of the revamped lineup that won four consecutive times and ended the season winning the Team Championship.
He said this year’s two team victories at Adelaide and London have been more satisfying.
“The wins feel a little sweeter to me this year than last year,” he said.
SMITH EYES TITLE DEFENSE: Cameron Smith entered this week with seven consecutive worldwide results of top 12 or better, including top 10s in his last two major starts.
Now with Sunday’s victory at LIV Golf London, he has the perfect momentum builder going into his title defense in two weeks at the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. The win was his first of 2023; his last victory was the Australian PGA Championship in November.
“It feels like forever,” Smith said. “Especially the way I’ve been playing the last couple months, I’ve been knocking on the door. It’s nice to get one out of the way. Hopefully it opens the floodgates a little bit.”
LEISHMAN’S BEST RESULT: Ripper GC veteran Marc Leishman started the day three shots behind teammate Cameron Smith. While he never caught Smith on the individual leaderboard, his 5-under 66 left him in a tie for second with Patrick Reed – his best finish since joining LIV Golf in the middle of last season.
“I really wanted to concentrate on the individual leaderboard because I knew if I had as good a score as I could, the team would take care of itself,” Leishman said. “It was really cool to be in the mix with both the individual and the team.”
MORGAN’S BIG SHOTS: Jediah Morgan wasn’t one of the counting scores for Ripper GC midway through Sunday’s round. But after a birdie at the par-5 ninth, he holed out for eagle at the par-4 10th, his 16th hole of the day. That made him a contributing score and it gave the Rippers a two-shot advantage at the time.
Morgan finished with a 2-under 69 as one of the three counting scores after not counting for the first two days.
“I think for a young fella like Jed, that’s the reason you have to hang in, not only for the team but for yourself,” said his captain, Cameron Smith. “You never know what’s going to happen on those last five or six holes. You could finish with five birdies and really make a difference. It’s nice for him to experience that. I kind of wish I had have been there for him, to be honest. It would’ve been cool to see.”
SMITH NOW SECOND: With his individual victory Sunday, Aussie Cameron Smith moves into second place behind three-time winner Talor Gooch in the season-long Individual Champion points race. Smith has 130 points to Gooch’s 137. Gooch finished 22nd in points in London.
With the victory, Smith also becomes just the second non-American to win an individual trophy this season, joining Tucson winner Danny Lee of New Zealand. Americans Gooch (3 wins), Charles Howell III, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Harold Varner III have the other individual wins.
PODIUM FINISHERS: With their second-place finish, Ripper GC becomes the ninth different team to finish on the podium this season. The only teams who have not produced a podium result in 2023 are HyFlyers GC, Majesticks GC and Cleeks GC.
The Majesticks, the local favorites in London with three English players on the roster, finished in fifth place on Sunday, matching their best finish of the season.
Click here for a full final-round recap from London.
RD. 3 STAT LEADERS
Driving distance – Dean Burmester, 340.6-yard average
Longest drive – Dean Burmester, 356.8 yards (4th hole)
Driving accuracy – Branden Grace, 95% (11 of 13)
Greens in regulation – Henrik Stenson, Harold Varner III, Sergio Garcia, 83% (15 of 18)
Scrambling – Scott Vincent (6 of 6), Sebastian Munoz (5 of 5), Pat Perez (4 of 4), 100%
Fewest putts – Ian Poulter, 21 putts
Most birdies – Patrick Reed, Marc Leishman, Ian Poulter, Eugenio Chacarra, Bernd Wiesberger, 7
Bogey-free rounds – Sebastian Munoz (65), Pat Perez (66)