Dean Burmester rallied from a shaky start to win LIV Golf Chicago in dramatic fashion Sunday, sinking a 6-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to beat Jon Rahm and Josele Ballester.
Burmester, who started the day with a two-shot lead, stumbled early with three consecutive bogeys. But the South African fought back to card an even-par 71, finishing at 9-under 204 for the tournament.
The playoff drama unfolded after Burmester birdied the 16th to reclaim the lead, only to see both Rahm and Ballester birdie the 18th to force extra holes. On the playoff hole, Ballester and Rahm each missed birdie attempts from about 12 feet before Burmester converted his winning putt.
It’s Burmester’s second LIV victory, following his win in Miami last year. The triumph earned him $4 million and continued his strong play on the circuit.
The victory was doubly sweet for Burmester as his Stinger team also captured the team title, beating Torque in a separate playoff.
Joaquin Niemann tied for 17th, which was enough to maintain his lead over Rahm in the individual points standings. What’s remarkable about Niemann’s season is the all-or-nothing nature of his results – he’s either winning or finishing outside the top 10. So far, he’s collected seven victories without a single top-10 finish otherwise.
