LIV Golf: Rahm and Hatton lead Legion XIII to team championship

Under the golden Michigan sun at The Cardinal at Saint John’s Resort, the 2025 LIV Golf Team Championship culminated in a finale that crackled with tension, where every swing carried the weight of a $14 million prize. On Sunday, August 24, 2025, Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII clawed back from a five-shot deficit to tie Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC at 20-under, forcing a thrilling two-hole playoff that saw Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton deliver clutch birdies to secure the title. Louis Oosthuizen’s Stinger GC, battling gamely, finished third at 12-under, unable to match the leaders’ firepower.

In a stroke-play spectacle where all four players’ scores counted, Legion XIII’s resilience and late heroics etched their name as LIV Golf’s 2025 team champions.The final day at The Cardinal, a 7,000-yard par-70 layout designed by Raymond Hearn with Golden Age contours and penal rough, demanded precision and nerve. After two days of match-play quarterfinals and semifinals, the format shifted to stroke play, with Legion XIII (Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Caleb Surratt, Tom McKibbin), Crushers GC (Bryson DeChambeau, Paul Casey, Anirban Lahiri, Charles Howell III), and Stinger GC (Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, Dean Burmester) vying for the crown.

All 12 players teed off in threesomes, their scores aggregated to determine the champion. Legion XIII, the top seed with four regular-season wins and the league’s lowest scoring average (-267 total), faced stiff competition from the 2023 champions Crushers GC and the upset-minded Stinger GC.The round began with a flurry of birdies. Crushers GC roared out of the gate, with Howell III carding five birdies in his first seven holes, pushing the team to -17 by the 12th.

DeChambeau, wielding his driver like a sledgehammer, posted a bogey-free 8-under 62—the lowest round in LIV Golf Team Championship stroke-play history—bolstered by his league-leading 350-yard drives. Legion XIII countered with Surratt’s scintillating 64, the day’s best for his team, as the 21-year-old’s iron play shredded The Cardinal’s tight fairways. Rahm, the LIV Golf Individual Champion, and McKibbin each added 65s, but Hatton’s 66 was quieter early, with one birdie through 12 holes.

Stinger GC, sparked by Schwartzel’s eagle from downtown on an unspecified hole, reached -11 but faded as Oosthuizen’s 70 couldn’t keep pace.By the 16th, Crushers GC led at -19, with Legion XIII at -16 and Stinger GC trailing at -11. The Cardinal’s back nine, with its Willie Park Jr.-inspired bunkers and risk-reward opportunities, became a crucible. On the par-4 17th, DeChambeau faced a long birdie putt to maintain the lead; he drained it, moving to 7-under for the day, giving Crushers a one-shot edge at -18.

But Legion XIII refused to yield. Rahm, shaking off 12 straight pars after a hot start, answered with a birdie on 17, his approach finding the heart of the green. Then, on the 465-yard par-4 18th, Hatton stepped into the spotlight. His wedge shot landed close, and his birdie putt dropped, tying Legion XIII with Crushers GC at -20. DeChambeau’s chip to force a miracle birdie slid wide, and Casey’s 30-foot putt drifted right, sending the championship to a playoff. Stinger GC, despite Oosthuizen’s late birdie, finished at -12, their early promise undone by inconsistent approaches.

The playoff, contested over the 18th hole with two players’ scores counting, pitted Rahm and Hatton against DeChambeau and Casey. On the first extra hole, DeChambeau and Hatton made birdies from inside 8 feet, while Rahm and Casey missed from beyond 12 feet, keeping the teams deadlocked. On the second playoff hole, Rahm’s 6-foot birdie putt found the cup, and Hatton tapped in a short birdie, while Casey’s long attempt missed, and DeChambeau’s chip from the rough failed to convert. Legion XIII clinched the title, their -3 in the playoff outpacing Crushers’ -1. Rahm, embracing teammates Surratt and McKibbin, reflected on the team’s grit: “Tyrrell and I got it going late, but Caleb and Tom carried us early. This is what Legion XIII is about—trust in each other.” Surratt, the youngest at 21, beamed: “Jon trusted me, and I’m proud of who I’m becoming.”

DeChambeau, gracious in defeat, praised his team’s effort: “We gave it everything. That 62 felt like perfection, but they were just better today.”

The victory, worth $1.4 million per player, capped a stellar season for Legion XIII, complementing Rahm’s individual title and $18 million bonus from Indianapolis. The Cardinal’s challenging layout—described by Hearn as a blend of Donald Ross and Willie Park Jr. influences—tested every facet of the game, from driving accuracy to clutch putting. For LIV Golf, the playoff thriller was a fitting end to a season of high drama, proving the team format’s ability to deliver heart-stopping moments. As Rahm hoisted the trophy, Legion XIII’s triumph stood as a testament to their depth, resilience, and unyielding will to win.

Photo by Michael Miller/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images