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Iron Heads GC shock Crushers GC at LIV Golf Team Championship

golf22 September 2024 04:35| © Reuters
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Danny Lee © Gallo Images

Iron Heads GC stunned Crushers GC in the semifinals of the LIV Golf Team Championship on Saturday, recording a 3-0 victory over the event's defending champion in Carrollton, Texas.

Despite being the lowest seed in the tournament, Iron Heads GC had little trouble ousting the No 1 seed at Maridoe Golf Club.

New Zealand's Danny Lee earned a 2-up win against Crushers captain Bryson DeChambeau and Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe posted a 1-up victory v England's Paul Casey before captain Kevin Na teamed with Japan's Jinichiro Kozuma to beat Anirban Lahiri of India and Charles Howell III 3 and 1.

"Like I've said all week, in match play anything can happen," Na said Saturday. "I felt like yesterday, getting through yesterday coming into this week, I think we had some momentum. Guys were confident going into today and changed out the pairing today, and I think the strategy worked."

In other action Saturday, Legion XIII bounced back from an early deficit to edge HyFlyers GC 2-1. Cameron Tringale needed 20 holes to best John Catlin and put HyFlyers ahead.

Legion XIII responded, though, getting a 5-and-4 victory from Englishman Tyrrell Hatton and a 4-and-3 win from the pairing of Caleb Surratt and Zimbabwe's Kieran Vincent.

Spain's Jon Rahm, captain of Legion XIII, had to withdraw Saturday due to an illness.

"We exchanged a few messages," Hatton said. "(Rahm) sounds like he's doing a little bit better, which is good to hear. It was good for the team to win today."

Marc Leishman outlasted Eugenio Chacarra of Spain in 19 holes and fellow Australian Lucas Herbert came away with a 1-up win against another Spaniard, David Puig, to power Ripper GC past Fireballs GC, 2-1.

Fireballs GC captain Sergio Garcia of Spain and Mexico's Abraham Ancer defeated Australians Cameron Smith and Matt Jones 3 and 1 in the foursomes match.

"Herby and Leish's (matches) started off the wrong way, and we started off really hot and we were feeling pretty good, to be honest," said Smith, Ripper GC's captain. "Sergio and Abe played some pretty solid golf and (we) just weren't able to put ourselves in the right position out there to get our match done, particularly on those scoring holes."

Captain Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed both prevailed 1 up in their respective matches for 4Aces GC, who beat Stinger GC 2-1. The South African duo of captain Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel won 3 and 2 for Stinger.

"Obviously we didn't have the best year," Johnson said. "We were in position going into the last day quite a lot this year, just Sunday all four didn't play well at the same time. But obviously we've got a chance to redeem ourselves tomorrow."

Each head-to-head matchup on Friday and Saturday consisted of two singles matches and one foursomes (alternate-shot) match. Friday's five winners joined the top three seeds – Crushers GC, Legion XIII and Ripper GC – in the semifinals. The four teams that reached Sunday's finals will play 18 holes of stroke play, with the lowest combined team score determining the champion.

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