LIV Golf Riyadh: Rookie Elvis Smylie Edges Jon Rahm by 1 in 1st LIV Golf Start

Ripper GC rookie Elvis Smylie held off a hard-charging Jon Rahm to claim victory at LIV Golf Riyadh in his first LIV Golf start. The performance from Smylie was incredibly impressive as he made some fantastic shots down the stretch and handled the pressure with the poise of a veteran. The 23-year-old shot a final-round 64 to finish the tournament at 24-under, one shot ahead of Rahm. He’s the first player to win in his LIV Golf debut since Henrik Stenson won LIV Golf Bedminster in 2022. “It’s a dream come true,” Smylie said. “I really didn’t know what to expect this week. Playing at night is obviously a whole different ballgame out here. “I wanted to come out here and make a statement. I wanted to prove that I’m one of the best out here, and I feel like I’ve done that, and it’s only up from here.” Rahm gave Smylie a run for his money, firing a 63 on Sunday, which was the best round of the week. The Legion XIII captain ended the round with four consecutive birdies, including the par-4 18th where he hit a massive drive onto the green, leaving himself about 15 feet for eagle. Despite coming up just short for the week, it was a valiant effort from the reigning LIV Golf Individual Champion. Peter Uihlein finished in third place, which was his first podium finish since LIV Golf Las Vegas in 2024. The RangeGoats GC veteran shot a bogey-free 67. Led by their unflappable rookie, Ripper GC won the team title by three shots over Torque GC. The win matches their win total from last season when they won LIV Golf Miami for their lone victory of the year. Smylie’s teammates Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert all made significant contributions, and each finished in the top 24 individually. Torque’s runner-up finish was led by Abraham Ancer’s T4 finish and Sebastian Munoz’s eighth-place finish. In third place was 4Aces GC, which earned its first podium finish despite playing with a reserve player in Miguel Tabuena. The overall scoring average for Round 4 was the lowest of the week at –4.15. Seventeen of 18 holes played under par for the round, with the easiest being the 565-yard par-5 13th for the fourth consecutive day (-0.86). LIV Golf Riyadh Leaderboard This piece is courtesy of Matt Vincenzi in partnership with LIV Golf.