The dominance of Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs GC continues to be the story of the LIV Golf season, while Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann is proving himself to be the man to beat.
Fueled by another late charge, Fireballs GC secured victory at LIV Golf Singapore presented by Aramco, finishing three shots clear for their third consecutive team title this season. This marks the longest win streak for any team or individual since 4Aces GC won four straight titles during the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series in 2022.
The Fireballs will now set their sights on extending their run at LIV Golf Miami, set for April 4-6. “We’re the only ones that can keep the streak alive,” said Garcia. “Hopefully, we’ll keep it going.”
Meanwhile, Niemann solidified his standing as one of the tour’s most dominant players, securing his second individual victory in three tournaments with a bogey-free 6-under 65, finishing five shots ahead of the field. The 26-year-old Chilean now leads the Individual Champion points standings and is in prime position to earn a coveted LIV Golf exemption into this year’s U.S. Open.
“Today was one of those days,” said Niemann, who previously won in Adelaide. “Everything went my way.”
Both victories were earned on the challenging 7,420-yard Serapong course at Sentosa Golf Club, where competitors faced a true test of skill and endurance.
The Fireballs’ victory was particularly impressive considering that Garcia, last week’s individual winner in Hong Kong, battled through bronchitis and a fever of 102.4°F on the eve of the tournament. While he managed to shoot even par for the week, his teammates stepped up in a big way, rallying from an eight-shot deficit to claim the title.
“This week was tough because I’ve been sick all week and haven’t been able to help the team as much as I would have liked,” Garcia admitted. “To see the performance that my teammates put in to get this win was pretty impressive.”
David Puig led the charge for the Fireballs, finishing solo fourth at 10-under par, while Luis Masaveu and Abraham Ancer shot rounds of 68 and 69, respectively. Their combined effort resulted in a final-round team score of 10-under, matching the best of the day.
“Counting four scores, eight strokes seem like a lot, but it can change in two holes,” Ancer said. “We just told ourselves that, and we just needed to take care of business and play our game.”
For Puig, this marks his eighth LIV Golf team victory, more than any other player. Having won four times with Niemann’s Torque GC in 2023, he now adds another four victories with Fireballs GC.
“I love team golf,” Puig said. “I think I’m a good team player. I like being surrounded by a great group of guys, and I have that here with the Fireballs. I just have a lot of fun, I never give up, and I love it.”
Niemann Surges to Victory
Entering the final round tied with 4Aces GC captain Dustin Johnson, Niemann wasted no time in asserting his dominance. He birdied his opening hole and then went on a torrid five-hole stretch from Nos. 4-8, carding four additional birdies en route to a commanding 17-under finish.
Meanwhile, Johnson struggled, carding a 2-over 73 with four bogeys, ultimately dropping into a tie for fifth at 9-under.
As it turned out, Niemann’s biggest challenge came from defending Singapore champion Brooks Koepka, who birdied his first three holes and posted a final-round 65 to finish solo second at 12-under.
“Not really hitting it great,” Koepka admitted, “but I kind of tried to figure out how to finish second because first was obviously out of reach.”
With two victories in the first four events of the 2024 season, Niemann has re-established himself atop the points standings after briefly being overtaken by Legion XIII Captain Jon Rahm. Now, he shifts his focus to Miami.
“There are a few things that I can improve,” Niemann said. “Then I’ll go down to Miami and have a chance to win. For me, it’s really exciting to become a better player and try to improve every day.”
Final Team Standings
- FIREBALLS GC -22 (Puig 66, Masaveu 68, Ancer 69, Garcia 71; Rd. 3: -10)
- LEGION XIII -19 (Hatton 66, Rahm 67, McKibbin 70, Surratt 71; Rd. 3: -10)
- 4ACES GC -18 (Reed 70, Varner III 70, Johnson 73, Pieters 73; Rd. 3: +2)
- TORQUE GC -16 (Niemann 65, Muñoz 70, Pereira 72, Ortiz 73; Rd. 3: -4)
- CRUSHERS GC -13 (DeChambeau 67, Lahiri 69, Casey 70, Howell III 70; Rd. 3: -8)
- STINGER GC -12 (Oosthuizen 67, Burmester 69, Grace 70, Schwartzel 70; Rd. 3: -8)
- HYFLYERS GC -11 (Ogletree 70, Tringale 70, Mickelson 72, Steele 76; Rd. 3: +4)
- SMASH GC -10 (Koepka 65, Gooch 68, Kokrak 72, McDowell 74; Rd. 3: -5)
- RANGEGOATS GC -6 (Campbell 67, Uihlein 68, Watson 71, Wolff 74; Rd. 3: -4)
- RIPPER GC E (Jones 71, Leishman 72, Smith 72, Herbert 74; Rd. 3: +5)
- IRON HEADS GC +2 (Na 69, Catlin 74, Jang 75, Lee 76; Rd. 3: +10)
- CLEEKS GC +17 (Bland 67, Meronk 68, Kaymer 69, Kjettrup 77; Rd. 3: -3)
- MAJESTICKS GC +19 (Westwood 71, Horsfield 72, Poulter 73, Stenson 73; Rd. 3: +4)
Credit Photo : Chris Trotman/LIV Golf
