MCKIBBIN STARS AS LEGION XIII TAKE THE LIV SPOILS
Team champions Captain John Rahm, Tyrell Hatton, Caleb Surratt and Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin of Legions XIII pose with the trophy in Michigan (Photo Pedro Salado/LIV Golf)
Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton each birdied the second playoff hole to outduel Crushers GC’s Bryson DeChambeau and Paul Casey for the LIV Golf Michigan Team Championship before a packed and enthusiastic gallery at The Cardinal at Saint John’s.
It’s Legion XIII’s first championship after joining the league as an expansion team last season. Not only does it combine with Legion’s four regular-season team wins, it completes the sweep of LIV Golf’s top trophies for Rahm, who last week in Indianapolis won his second consecutive Individual Championship.
“Neither Tyrrell or I were having a great day today, and even during the whole week, I don't think we played our best,” said the Legion captain. “But the young guys kind of were a beacon of strength. … They carried us all the way to the end. Just so proud of them.”
The young guys are 21-year-old Caleb Surratt and 22-year-old Tom McKibbin. They were the big contributors in Sunday’s stroke-play all-scores-count final round, Surratt leading the team with a 6-under 64 while Holywood’s McKibbin shot a 65. In the first two rounds, they partnered to win both of their foursomes matches while Rahm and Hatton each went 1-1 in singles.
At one point, it appeared the heroics of Legion XIII’s youngsters might not be enough. After a hot start, Rahm parred 12 consecutive holes. Hatton, meanwhile, made one birdie and 11 pars in his first 12 holes.
Meanwhile, the Crushers – seeking their second Team Championship title – opened up a five-stroke lead early on the back nine. The foursome of DeChambeau, Casey, Anirban Lahiri and Charles Howell III were 17 under through 12 holes. Surratt noticed the deficit but wasn’t worried.
“I think that's part of what makes our team really special because we have four guys that, I think, trust each other,” Surratt said. “There's no other three guys I would have wanted to be five back with in that moment. So, I was really, really proud of the fight.”
The other team in the Championship bracket, the all-South African Stinger GC, hit a lull after an impressive front nine and would ultimately fall off the pace.
Rahm and Hatton finally started making a few putts to reel in the Crushers. Both birdied the par-4 17th and 18th holes, Rahm to shoot 65 and Hatton for a 66. That forced DeChambeau to match – which he did, finishing with two birdies to cap off his brilliant bogey-free 8-under 62, the lowest round in the field.
“It was an incredible round,” said Rahm, competing in the final group with DeChambeau and Stingers Captain Louis Oosthuizen. “He didn’t miss one shot. … He could have shot lower today.”
With Legion XIII and the Crushers both finishing at 20 under, a playoff was necessary, the outcome based on the aggregate score of two selected players from each team. DeChambeau opted for himself and Casey, who shot a 5-under 65. The Legion XIII choice was easy, despite the youngsters’ fine play.
On the first playoff hole, Casey and Rahm missed birdie chances from outside 12 feet, but DeChambeau and Hatton made theirs from inside 8 feet.
On the second playoff hole, Rahm and Hatton each knocked their wedge shots tight, and the Crushers couldn’t match. Casey’s approach didn’t carry the slope and rolled away from the pin, leaving him with a lengthy birdie putt. DeChambeau’s wedge shot got caught in the rough between the bunker and the green, forcing him to chip just to save par. That left Legion with two easy birdie putts for the win.
“The playoff was good fun,” Hatton said. “Sure, I felt nervous, and I don't think that's a bad thing. It shows that you care. Sometimes in those moments it allows you to be, I guess, even more focused. … We’ve done very well as a team, and it feels great that we’ve ended up coming out on top this week.”
For Rahm, his 2025 season has been a unique one. He didn’t post an individual tournament win, but he has celebrated two trophies in the last two weeks. His season-long excellence won him the Individual Championship, and his ability to identify young talented golfers paid off big in Michigan.
“If there was ever a question mark or an asterisk for not having won the whole season without winning, in my mind, with this it goes away,” Rahm said. “It’s a lot of validation for all of us, for the team, just how well we did all year. To get it done – stressful – but we got it done. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
FINAL RESULTS
CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET
1. LEGION XIII -20 (Surratt 64, McKibbin 65, Rahm 65, Hatton 66)
2. CRUSHERS GC -20 (DeChambeau 62, Casey 65, Lahiri 65, Howell III 68)
3. STINGER GC -12 (Burmester 65, Schwartzel 66, Grace 67, Oosthuizen 70)
Playoff (two holes): Legion XIII -3 (Hatton -2, Rahm -1); Crushers GC -1 (DeChambeau -1, Casey E)
RANKINGS BRACKET
Tier 2
4. SMASH GC -18 (Koepka 65, Kokrak 65, Gooch 66, McDowell 66)
5. HYFLYERS GC -14 (Steele 65, Tringale 65, Mickelson 68, Ogletree 68)
6. TORQUE GC -9 (Ortiz 67, Pereira 67, Niemann 68, Muñoz 69)
Tier 3
7. 4ACES GC -17 (Pieters 63, Johnson 65, Reed 65, Puig 68)
8. FIREBALLS GC -13 (Ancer 63, Ballester 68, Garcia 68, Puig 68)
9. RIPPER GC -6 (Leishman 66, Herbert 67, Jones 70, Smith 71)
Tier 4
10. RANGEGOATS GC -7 (Campbell 66, Watson 66, Wolff 70, Uihlein 71)
11. MAJESTICKS GC -6 (Poulter 66, Stenson 66, Westwood 70, Horsfield 72)
12. CLEEKS GC +1 (Kaymer 68, Meronk 68, Bland 72, Kjettrup 73)
FINALS NOTES
YOUNGSTERS ENJOY THE PLAYOFF: Even though Caleb Surratt and Tom McKibbin turned in incredible performances at this week’s Michigan Team Championship, they were happy to see their Legion XIII teammates Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton handle the playoff pressure against the Crushers’ duo of Bryson DeChambeau and Paul Casey.
Surratt and McKibbin spent the playoff standing near the 18th green as their teammates hit tricky wedge shots into a tucked pin. Hatton made birdie on both his attempts and Rahm’s approach into the second playoff hole was also tight.
“I don’t think TV can justify how hard of a shot that is,” Surratt said. “It’s downwind. It’s short-sided. The ball’s on a downslope. I think Tom and myself can both say confidently that we’re glad they were the ones hitting them.”
McKibbin added: “I quite enjoyed watching. I’m glad I wasn’t hitting the shots. I love watching golf and sort of just to get to stand there and see those shots come in was cool.”