RD. 3 NEWS AND NOTES: SMITH, VARNER BOTH TIE RECORD 61
Dustin Johnson prevailed in a playoff in Tulsa, while Stinger GC took home the team title. Here are some other news an notes from a wild final round in Oklahoma.
VARNER, SMITH TIE LIV-RECORD LOW: RangeGoats GC’s Harold Varner III and Ripper GC Cameron Smith each shot 9-under 61 on Sunday, equaling the LIV record-low set by Branden Grace on Friday.
Varner was on pace to break 60 after carding two eagles in his first four holes and was 10 under with four holes to play. But his tee shot at the par-3 11th bounced off the rocks and into the bunker, and he could not get up and down to save par. He finished at 13 under and solo fourth.
Smith reeled off four consecutive birdies from holes 12-15 and then birdied his final hole for 61 and make the playoff.
“There was probably still a couple of shots that I left out there that in the end could have been the decider,” Smith said. “It was really good stuff but still just a little bit disappointing.”
OGLETREE SUBS FOR WESTWOOD, SHOOTS 62: Andy Ogletree, the first reserve this week, took Majesticks co-captain Lee Westwood’s spot in the lineup Sunday after Westwood suffered an injury to his medial ligament in his left knee. The International Series Order of Merit leader shot a bogey-free 8-under 62 that included an eagle at the par-5 14th.
"Rather than play today, just give it another day to recover," he said. "If you're not going to go out there 100%, then there's not really any point going out there."
Westwood expects to be ready for LIV Golf DC in two weeks.
THE BRAAI IMPACT: Stinger GC Captain Louis Oosthuizen cooked a braai – South Africa’s version of a BBQ – earlier this week at the team’s rental house. After Branden Grace shot a LIV-record 61 in Friday’s first round, Oosthuizen decided it was a stroke of good fortune, and so continued to braai after each round.
“Yeah, I was the cook, the chef this week,” Oosthuizen said. “So, boys, if you do that every week, I’ll be the chef every time. It was good fun.”
STANDINGS UPDATE: With the team victory, Stinger GC moves into second place in the season-long team standings, 36 points behind the 4Aces.
In the individual standings, Dustin Johnson is now sixth, while Cameron Smith moves to third with his runner-up finish, and Brooks Koepka moves to second with his sixth-place finish. Talor Gooch remains the points leader.
RD.3 STAT LEADERS
Driving distance – Peter Uihlein, 328.1-yard average
Longest drive – Matthew Wolff, 336.8 yards (18th hole)
Driving accuracy – Henrik Stenson, Jediah Morgan, 86% (12 of 14)
Greens in regulation – Jason Kokrak, Sebastián Muñoz, 94% (17 of 18)
Fewest putts – Harold Varner III, 23 putts
Most birdies – Cameron Smith, Sebastián Muñoz, 9
Bogey-free rounds – Cameron Smith (61), Andy Ogletree (62), Jason Kokrak (63), Patrick Reed (64), Dean Burmester (64), Branden Grace (65), Anirban Lahiri (65), Cameron Tringale (65), Talor Gooch (67)
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