4 Takeaways From LIV Golf South Africa: Bryson DeChambeau Beats Jon Rahm in Playoff

What a finish in Johannesburg, with two of the best golfers in the world taking center stage. Bryson DeChambeau held off Jon Rahm, taking down the Spaniard in a playoff for his second straight LIV Golf win. Rahm was electric on Sunday with an 8-under round, but he couldn’t finish it off against DeChambeau. Here are the takeaways: 1. LIV Golf’s biggest stars provide the fireworks Fans in Johannesburg were treated to an electric Sunday. DeChambeau started the day at 21-under par, three shots ahead of Rahm. The two-time major champion shot a 63 in the final round, though, to force a playoff. The pair played the 18th hole again, a 651-yard par-5. Both are big hitters, but it was DeChambeau who tapped in for birdie to seal his second LIV Golf victory in as many weeks. 2. DeChambeau finishes international events red-hot Two weeks ago, DeChambeau only had one top-15 finish through the first three LIV events of 2026. Now, he has two wins. DeChambeau posted three of his five best rounds in 2026 this week in Johannesburg, starting hot at 21-under through three rounds. If it wasn’t for Rahm’s hot Sunday, he would have cruised to victory. DeChambeau is now second in the points standings behind Rahm, who has four top-two finishes this season (his other finish was fifth in Singapore last week). LIV Golf’s two biggest stars are clear of the field through five events. 3. Anirban Lahiri delivers for Crushers GC It looked like Southern Guards GC, a team of four South Africans, was going to have a feel-good story this week in its home country. And then Anirban Lahiri happened on Sunday. Crushers GC finished the week at 76-under, one stroke better than Southern Guards. The driving force on Sunday was Lahiri, who shot an 8-under 63. DeChambeau shot a 66, while Paul Casey and Charles Howell III also delivered solid 67s. Lahiri delivered by far his best finish this week at T9. He shot 8-under on both Saturday and Sunday to get to a 20-under finish after starting with a pair of 2-under rounds. Crushers GC moves into third with the win, trailing Ripper GC in first and 4Aces GC. 4. What a week in Johannesburg LIV Golf welcomed more than 100,000 fans to Steyn City this week, which was a great way to cap the international start to its season that began in Asia and ended in South Africa. The Club at Steyn City will again host LIV Golf South Africa in 2027, although it will be in late April next year. “Our return to South Africa in 2027 is a proud moment for LIV Golf,” LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil said. “The success of this week’s inaugural event reaffirmed what we’ve long known — South Africa is home to a vibrant golf culture, world‑class talent, and fans whose passion elevates the game.”