Staff WriterAt LIV Golf Chicago, Dean Burmester turned Sunday at Bolingbrook Golf Club into a South African celebration, producing the kind of drama that even Hollywood would have trouble scripting.
His clutch birdie on the first playoff hole sealed the individual title, and minutes later, his Stinger GC teammates Branden Grace and Charl Schwartzel delivered back-to-back birdies of their own to clinch the team title over Torque GC. Two playoffs, two trophies — and a drought-breaking day that will be remembered in Stinger history.
Burmester’s winning putt on the 18th green was more than a shot for the record books — it was an emotional release. “The moment after the emotion of trying to win a golf tournament, there’s nothing sweeter than that,” he said. “Then to have these two boys do it right behind me, all three of us birdie the playoff hole, is special.”
For the Stingers, the victory ended a barren run of 31 straight regular-season events without a team win (33 including Team Championships). The double playoff was only the second in LIV Golf history, echoing their debut sweep at London 2022, when Schwartzel took the individual crown and the team locked down the podium.
Burmester Battles Back
The day began with Burmester holding a two-shot lead, but any thoughts of a serene victory march were obliterated after three straight bogeys out of the gate. “Obviously had the dream start, didn’t I?” he quipped, before steadying the ship with three back-nine birdies to card an even-par 71.
Standing in his way were Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm and 21-year-old Fireballs GC prospect Josele Ballester. Both birdied the 18th to force the playoff, joining Burmester at nine under.
Burmester had a chance to win in regulation with a 23-footer but missed — only to redeem himself in overtime with a silky chip from the rough that left a tap-in birdie.
“Read it right to left and it went right to left and then went right and lipped in,” Burmester said. “I was halfway through a fist pump and then had to pause and have a second go at it.”
It was his second LIV Golf playoff win — the first came against Sergio Garcia in Miami last year — and one he admitted came after a tough stretch off the course.
“I’ve been going through a bit of a rough time, personal stuff, and I’ve just been grinding… After three bogeys in a row to start, I was like, fudge, I don’t know where I’m going. The head was nowhere. But… we’re not going to give up. We’ve been through too much crap to give up.”
Torque’s Late Surge and the Team Playoff
While Burmester fought for the individual title, the team race had its own fireworks. Stinger GC had controlled much of the leaderboard, but Torque GC charged late, going nine under across the final six holes per player, thanks to Mito Pereira’s four birdies in his last five holes. That run forced the playoff at 17 under apiece.
Stinger captain Louis Oosthuizen made the bold call to send Grace and Schwartzel into the sudden-death team playoff, resting himself. “I know Branden is playing very well and I know what kind of player Charl is,” Oosthuizen said. “It was actually in the end a very easy decision.”
It proved inspired. Grace stuck his approach to six feet; Schwartzel left his virtually in gimme range. Torque’s Carlos Ortiz rolled in a birdie to apply pressure, but the South Africans answered in kind, sealing their first team win since Tulsa 2023.
“It was just great to get up there, seeing Burmy getting over the line in the individual and giving us that extra bit of motivation to get it done,” Grace said. “And obviously the captain putting his faith in us to get it done as well.”
Rahm vs. Niemann – Title Race Set for Indianapolis
Rahm’s playoff loss still paid dividends in the season-long Individual Championship race. He trimmed Joaquin Niemann’s lead to 12.27 points heading into next week’s regular-season finale at LIV Golf Indianapolis.
Only Niemann and Rahm remain in contention, with the Chilean able to secure the crown with a second-place finish regardless of Rahm’s result.
Bryson DeChambeau sits third in points, fending off potential late charges from Burmester, Talor Gooch, and Patrick Reed.
Lock Zone and Relegation Drama
The fight to secure spots in the top 24 “Lock Zone” saw Harold Varner III and Thomas Pieters jump in after strong finishes, while Tyrrell Hatton and Dustin Johnson slipped out. Richard Bland is lurking in 26th, chasing his fourth consecutive Lock Zone season.
In the relegation battle, Chieh-Po Lee climbed out of the Drop Zone to 45th after tying for 13th. Mito Pereira, meanwhile, edged into 49th — still dangerously close to the cut line but buoyed by his best finish in 19 starts.
A Sweep Worth Remembering
This was the 16th time in 45 regular-season LIV Golf tournaments that one team has swept both titles — and the Stingers have now done it twice. They join Legion XIII, Crushers GC, Fireballs GC, and Ripper GC as the only 2025 team winners.
Fittingly, the South Africans celebrated in style — just as they did in Tulsa last year — in a shared rental house. Oosthuizen hinted they might keep the winning formula alive for Indianapolis. “I think we’re already looking at houses for next week,” he grinned.
And so, LIV Golf Chicago will be remembered not just for the clutch putts and booming drives, but for a team that refused to be denied, a captain who trusted his men, and a player who stared down personal storms and still walked away with the trophy — twice over.
