[Photo: Johan Rynners]

LIV Golf’s two biggest stars went head-to-head in a playoff on Sunday in rainy South Africa in the league’s last event before the Masters.

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Jon Rahm erased a three-shot deficit against Bryson DeChambeau in regulation, shooting an eight-under 63 at The Club at Steyn City, but DeChambeau hit an outrageous approach from the trampled-down left rough on the par-5 18th in the playoff to set up an eagle attempt, although, ultimately, birdie was enough to win for the second consecutive week. The approach shot was from 270 metres (295 yards), where DeChambeau hit a 3-wood to 12 feet. Rahm did not find the green with his second shot and failed to get up and down for birdie.

“I did want to make it, but at the last moment, I’m like, Just die it up there, just hit it close,” DeChambeau said of the eagle putt.

OUTRAGEOUS 😱@brysondech SETS UP AN EAGLE PUTT IN THE PLAYOFF#LIVGolfSouthAfrica @Crushers_GC pic.twitter.com/vRiHmOahBn

— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) March 22, 2026

DeChambeau shot 26-under, a week after he topped Richard T. Lee in a playoff in Singapore. He now heads to Augusta National in two weeks feeling good about his game, although he was emotional on Sunday because of undisclosed things that happened earlier in the week.

“A lot has happened in the past week,” DeChambeau said of his fifth career LIV title. “I’m just so grateful for my team, the Crushers, everybody supporting me. It’s so funny, golf is a fickle game, and you work so hard at it your whole entire life, and you realise that golf is just golf and there’s a lot more to life than just golf.

“I had some things happen in the off time during this week, and I was just praying all day, praying to give me the perseverance to move forward and keep looking forward.”

DeChambeau appeared like he was going to run away with the tournament when he birdied five of seven holes in the middle of his round. But Rahm came bouncing back and played a three-hole stretch – eight, nine and 10 – in four-under-par to sneak closer. Both men had a chance to win in regulation with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole, but both made par. Thomas Detry, Branden Grace and Abraham Ancer tied for third place, three shots behind.

Meanwhile, the raucous South African crowd was firmly in the corner of the all-South African Southern Guards team of Grace, Louis Oosthiuizen, Dean Burmester and Charl Schwartzel. They once held a nine-shot lead in the team competition on Sunday and the gallery was going berserk. But they failed to close the deal and lost to DeChambeau’s Crushers GC squad by one shot.

After five events this season, Rahm leads DeChambeau in the individual standings having won once and finishing second three times. DeChambeau has the two victories but also has two finishes outside the top 15.

Despite finishing in eighth place in South Africa, Cam Smith’s Ripper GC team is atop the team standings, having won the first two events of the season. Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces have two victories and sit in second place.