A Record-Breaking Weekend for LIV Golf South Africa

Karen Scheepers
2 hours ago
3 min read

The inaugural LIV Golf South Africa didn't just meet expectations; it shattered them. Over four days in Johannesburg, more than 105,000 fans flooded the fairways, making it the highest-attended professional golf event in the nation's history. While the "fairytale" ending for the local team was narrowly snatched away in the final moments, the week solidified South Africa as a premier global destination for the league.

⛳️ The Final Leaderboard: A Sunday Shootout

The tournament culminated in a dramatic "Moving Day" and a Sunday finale that saw the world’s best go toe-to-toe. In the end, it was a battle of heavyweights between Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm.

Position	Player	Team	Score	Result
1	Bryson DeChambeau	Crushers GC	-26	Winner (Playoff)
2	Jon Rahm	Legion XIII	-26	Runner-up
T3	Thomas Detry	4Aces GC	-23	3rd Place
T3	Branden Grace	Southern Guards GC	-23	3rd Place
T6	Dean Burmester	Southern Guards GC	-22	Top 10

Team Championship Standings:

🇺🇸 Crushers GC: -76 (Champions)
🇿🇦 Southern Guards GC: -75
🇲🇽 Torque GC: -72

🇿🇦 The Southern Guards: Local Heroes

The all-South African Southern Guards GC (Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, Dean Burmester, and Charl Schwartzel) carried the weight of a nation. Entering the final round, they held a commanding lead, peaking at 9 strokes clear of the field.

Branden Grace (-23): Grace was the heartbeat of the team. His bogey-free rounds and clutch birdie on the 18th on Saturday kept the home crowd's dreams alive. He ultimately finished tied for 3rd.
Dean Burmester (-22): "Burmy" was the ultimate showman, famously whipping the crowd into a frenzy at the Lion’s Den (Hole 17). His early Sunday charge (four birdies in his first four holes) set the stage for a potential win before the "Crushers" began their late-day surge.
Charl Schwartzel (-14): Despite battling severe back issues all week that limited his driving ability, Schwartzel's "hero golf" and iron play were essential to the team’s aggregate score.
Louis Oosthuizen (-16): The Captain led with poise, finishing T17 and noting that the atmosphere at Steyn City was unlike anything he had ever felt on a golf course.

🦁 The "Lion’s Den" & The Crushers' Comeback

The 17th hole became an international sensation. Known as The Lion's Den, the stadium-style par-3 became a cauldron of sound. However, the story of Sunday was the Crushers GC rally. Trailing by 9 shots at the midpoint, the Crushers, led by Anirban Lahiri's second consecutive 63, clawed back to win the team title by a single stroke.

In the individual race, Bryson DeChambeau outlasted Jon Rahm in a high-stakes playoff, securing back-to-back LIV titles and cementing his status as the "Scientist" of the Highveld.

🎧 The Soundtrack of the Weekend

The "Golf, but Louder" mantra was in full effect with a blockbuster music lineup that kept the energy high long after the sun set over Midrand.

Saturday Night: Despite a late-evening rain shower, thousands stayed for a legendary double-bill. St. Lucia (led by South African-born Jean-Philip Grobler) set the mood before global superstar Calvin Harris delivered a pyrotechnic-filled set of chart-toppers.
Sunday Celebration: The weekend closed with a soulful, high-energy performance by GoldFish. The duo brought their signature saxophone-house fusion to the stage, joined by the Southern Guards players for a final "lap of honor" in front of the adoring Jozi crowd.

🌍 The Legacy: 2027 and Beyond

The success of the event was so undeniable that LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman and Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie officially confirmed that LIV Golf will return to Steyn City from April 22-25, 2027.

Minister McKenzie emphasized that this event provided an economic boost of nearly R1 billion to the region and proved that South African golf fans are, in the words of Bryson DeChambeau, "the greatest fans in the world."

All image credits: https://www.livgolf.com/standings

#LIVGolf 🇿🇦 #SouthernGuards 🦁 #SteynCity2026 ⛳️ #GolfButLouder 🏆