CLOSING EAGLE LIFTS STENSON TO A TOP-FIVE FINISH IN CHICAGO
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – Henrik Stenson made a stunning eagle on his finishing hole to secure his second top-5 finish of the season, but his team Majesticks GC fell agonisingly short of a podium finish in LIV Golf Chicago at Rich Harvest Farms.
After starting from the third tee, Co-Captain Stenson shot a 4-under par 67 round, including the eagle on the par-5 second hole. Teammate Sam Horsfield, returning from a four-and-a-half-month break following a hip surgery, also made an eagle on the hole with a 25-feet putt and closed with a 3-under par 68.
With Ian Poulter contributing to the team score with his one-over 72, Majesticks reached 22-under in the team championship, falling short of a podium finish by three shots.
Stenson, at 10-under par, was tied for fifth place, while Horsfield was tied 14th in his comeback at 7-under.
The Swede, who won the individual title in his debut LIV Golf appearance last year in Bedminster, was struggling with his putter the first two days despite striking the ball brilliantly. After Saturday’s round, he wished he could roll in a few putts in the final round.
And he did exactly that. After averaging 31 putts for the first two rounds, Stenson went around in 25 putts on Sunday.
Stenson dropped a shot on the par-4 9th hole today - only his second bogey of the week after having dropped a shot in his second hole of the tournament on Friday.
“I was pretty pleased with myself with the eagle finish that made a difference. And well done to Sam being back for the first week and shooting a good score today,” Stenson said.
Horsfield made three bogeys in his 68, but compensated for it with his eagle and four birdies. That included a birdie-birdie start, in which the 26-year-old Englishman made putts from 19 and 14 feet.
One of the most amazing streaks in LIV Golf came to an end when Poulter made a bogey on the par-5 sixth hole. That was the first time he went over par after making par or better for 133 consecutive par-5 holes.
Poulter made up for that bogey with three quick birdies after that to reach 8-under total, before dropping three shots. He was tied 24th at 5-under, finishing just outside the points.
The tournament was won in dramatic fashion by Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau, who fired an eight-under 63 to reach 13-under total. Crushers also won the team title with a score of 33-under.