Rahm’s Legion XIII win LIV Team Championship

Stimpmeter · August 25, 2025, 5:00am

After leaning heavily all weekend on the impressive performances of their young rising stars, Legion XIII relied on their two senior players in a dramatic playoff to win LIV Golf’s biggest team prize.

Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton each birdied the second playoff hole to out-duel the Crushers’ 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 was Legion XIII’s first championship since joining the league as an expansion team last season. Added to four regular-season victories, the triumph completed a clean sweep of LIV Golf’s top trophies for captain Rahm, who last week in Indianapolis won his second consecutive Individual Championship.

“Neither Tyrrell nor I were having a great day today, and even during the whole week, I don’t think we played our best,” said Rahm. “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” were 21-year-old Caleb Surratt and 22-year-old Tom McKibbin. Both were standouts in Sunday’s stroke-play, all-scores-count final round: Surratt led with a six under 64 while McKibbin posted 65. Earlier in the week, they paired up to win both foursomes matches, while Rahm and Hatton each went 1-1 in singles.

At one point, their heroics seemed insufficient. After a hot start, Rahm parred 12 consecutive holes, while Hatton produced just one birdie and 11 pars in his first 12.

The Crushers, aiming for a second Team Championship title, surged ahead on the back nine. DeChambeau, Casey, Anirban Lahiri and Charles Howell III were 17 under through 12 holes. Surratt, however, said the team never panicked.

“I think that’s part of what makes our team really special,” 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, South Africa’s Stinger GC, faded after a strong front nine.

Rahm and Hatton finally caught fire, birdieing the par-four 17th and par-five 18th. Rahm signed for 65, Hatton for 66. DeChambeau matched them with back-to-back birdies to close out a bogey-free eight under 62, the day’s lowest round.

“It was an incredible round,” Rahm said of DeChambeau. “He didn’t miss one shot. He could have shot lower today.”

With Legion XIII and the Crushers tied at 20 under, the playoff format called for two players per team in an aggregate-score showdown. DeChambeau chose himself and Casey, while Rahm and Hatton were obvious picks for Legion XIII.

On the first playoff hole, both teams made birdie. On the second, Rahm and Hatton knocked their wedges tight while Casey spun his approach off a slope and DeChambeau found rough near the bunker. With the Crushers unable to match, Legion XIII secured two short 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 even more focused. We’ve done very well as a team, and it feels great that we’ve come out on top this week.”

For Rahm, the victory capped a season without an individual tournament win but with two major trophies in as many weeks.

“If there was ever a question mark for not having won individually, this takes it away,” Rahm said. “It’s validation for all of us, for the team. Stressful, but we got it done. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Photo: Raj Menta/Getty Images

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