Brendan Steele: History maker with LIV Golf’s first ever albatross
Brendan Steele took a step towards LIV Golf immortality after a stellar 2024.
A first win in Adelaide in April added his name to the series’ roll of honor, then four months later he stood alone as the first LIV golfer to hit an albatross.
The 41-year-old’s moment of golfing wizardry came in the second round at Greenbrier in August, when he tackled the 17th hole, a daunting par-5 of 615 yards.
After a clean drive to the fairway, Steele weighed up his approach shot.
“It was 287 yards or so, so I hit a cut – the pin was on the right – and it was riding the wind back there,” he told Fairway To Heaven, LIV Golf’s official podcast.
“I said to Christian my caddie ‘I think that should be perfect’.”
It was so perfect that he was about to move from three under to six under with that one stroke.
“I couldn't see it go in, but you always know by the crowd whether it's just a good shot or whether it's gone in or whether it's hit the stick and rattled in the bunker.
“I saw the replay later and it landed a yard short and just barely trickled into the hole.
“It was really cool, it obviously helps the score a ton and it was fun to be the first one on LIV to do it.”
A long journey to become professional golfer Brendan Steele
A long journey to become professional golfer Brendan Steele
Growing up in Idyllwild, California, not only were there no golf courses there wasn’t even a high school, meaning Steele faced a 45-minute bus ride to nearby Hemet every morning.
With his new school came a proper introduction to golf at the relatively late age of 13, yet by the time he graduated from the University of California, Riverside in 2005 he was ready to turn professional.
After four wins on the Golden State Tour in his first pro year, Steele spent a couple of seasons on the Canadian Tour before stepping up to the Nationwide Tour in 2008.
In October 2010 he scored his most notable success to date, beating Colt Knost on a fourth playoff hole to win the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island.
That end-of-season victory helped earn Steele his ticket to the PGA Tour for 2011.
Earning respect on the PGA Tour
Earning respect on the PGA Tour
Steele achieved his maiden win on the PGA Tour in his rookie year, holding his nerve in blustery conditions during the final round to claim the 2011 Valero Texas Open by one stroke.
That same year he had his first taste of the Majors, finishing T19 in the PGA Championship. It wasn’t until 2016 that he landed his second win and it came in spectacular fashion in the Safeway Open at a rain-soaked Silverado.
At one stage in the final round, Steele was facing a four-shot deficit, but closing with three birdies gave him a 7-under 65, enough to pip a stuttering Patton Kizzire by one stroke.
His four-round total of 270 left him 18-under, which tied the tournament record for lowest score relative to par.
A year later he returned to Napa Valley to become the first player to win the Safeway Open multiple times.
This time windy conditions provided the extra hazard, but birdies on the par-5 16th and 18th holes on the Sunday saw Steele finish two strokes ahead of runner-up Tony Finau.
Steele made 23 career appearances in the Majors, playing in all four at various stages over the years, with his best showing being T9 at the 2022 PGA Championship.
He is widely regarded as one of the nicest men in golf, but that didn’t stop him complaining about fellow pro Will Wilcox blasting out music by Drake on the driving range, ahead of the 2015 Travelers Championship.
The spat continued publicly on Twitter with Steele, who is more of a Linkin Park man, telling Wilcox: “It’s the PGA Tour, act accordingly.”
By the time he stepped away in 2023, Steele was a three-time PGA Tour winner having competed in 298 events, earning official prize money of $20,223,613.
Getting the call to sign a LIV Golf contract
Getting the call to sign a LIV Golf contract
Steele signed his first LIV Golf contract for the 2023 season and made his debut at the Mayakoba opener in Mexico.
The chance to play alongside captain Phil Mickelson and close friend Cameron Tringale at HyFlyers GC was too good to miss.
“The three of us had been playing some golf together,” Steele told Fairway To Heaven.
“Cameron asked me ‘would you ever come?’ and I said, ‘if I was going to it would be with you guys, so if there's ever an opportunity, I would love to know about it.’
“Phil called and said ‘I wanted to run something by you before I went in any different direction, I wasn't sure if you'd be interested.’
“We just talked it out and I thought this is too good an opportunity to pass up, like picking Phil's brain, traveling the world, having a team... and with Cameron being one of my best friends it was an easy choice.”
Steele hit the ground running with a fifth-place finish in Mayakoba followed up by third in Tucson.
By the season’s end he was placed 19th in the individual rankings, cementing his place with HyFlyers for 2024.
Steele’s win in Adelaide last year earned him the $4million purse. He secured 24th spot in the overall standings and another automatic ticket with HyFlyers for 2025, collecting $6,353,167 in prize money along the way.
Brendan Steele’s golf swing
Brendan Steele’s golf swing
It is the very strong lead hand grip that gets Brendan Steele’s swing noticed and admired by golf fans.
At 6ft 2in in height he has a very angular stance using the irons and wedges, with a lot of knee flex, and as a tall player has to be wary of coming up and out too early.
Driving is the key to his game and with a wood in his hands he can afford a more upright stance.
Steele uses forearm rotation to help load up in his backswing and once he reaches the top of the swing, it’s all about retaining posture, keeping a good rhythm in the downswing with smooth hip rotation, keeping the club face square, and a slightly forward motion so that all that energy is transferred to the ball.
Working the greens, he prefers a version of the claw grip to handle his putter.
A famous relative and a love for Linkin Park
A famous relative and a love for Linkin Park
Brendan Steele lives in Irvine, California with wife Anastassia, who he met at college, and their young daughter.
Away from the golf course, Steele admits to being a bit of a music nut, especially alternative rock and metal.
“I am a huge sports fan and a huge live music fan, so one of my favorite things to do is go to a concert’” he revealed on Fairway To Heaven.
“I like a lot of heavier stuff that people would say ‘that doesn't fit your personality’.
“I like bands like Tool and Metallica and Nine Inch Nails.
“Linkin Park is actually my favorite band and my good friend is the bass player so I do a lot of stuff based around that.”
Steele has an even stronger connection to the world of entertainment as his uncle is eight-time Daytime Emmy Award winner Anthony Geary, who played the role of Luke Spencer on ABC’s long-running drama series General Hospital.
Brendan Steele, what’s in the bag?
Brendan Steele, what’s in the bag?
Winning Adelaide 2024 provided the perfect opportunity for a Brendan Steele WITB.
Steele favors a selection of brands among his golf clubs, beginning with the Ping G425 LST (10.5 degrees @ 9.5 degrees) with Mitsubishi Diamana DF 70 TX shaft.
He turns to TaylorMade for his woods, starting with the M6 lofted at 15 degrees for his 3-wood with an Aldila Rogue White 130 M.S.I 70 TX shaft.
The 7-wood is a SIM Max (21 degrees) also with a Rogue White shaft but the 130 M.S.I 80 TX.
There’s a mix of brands among his irons. His 3-iron is a Callaway Apex UT (21 degrees) with Aerotech SteelFiber i110 shaft.
Wilson step in with the FG Tour V4 4-iron and Staff Model 5-iron, both with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts.
His wedge collection comprises the Wilson Staff Model (50-08), Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (58-08M, 60-04L) and Wilson Staff (60-10 @ 62 degrees) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts.
Steele’s choice of putter is made easier by having two available: The Odyssey 2-ball Tour-Lined #11 with Tri-Hot grip and Odyssey Eleven with Stroke Lab grip.
