Talor Gooch avoids an epic choke to win LIV event in Adelaide
The theatre of Talor Gooch nearly squandering a 10-shot lead in Adelaide made the LIV event as gripping as any.
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Talor Gooch should never have doubted it but was given a stern reminder that “golf is really hard” after nearly surrendering a massive 10-shot lead before holding on to collect an extra special victory at the inaugural LIV event in Adelaide.
He knew he’d be nervous as he teed it up on Sunday in pursuit of the $5,7 million pay day, despite setting a new two-round scoring record for the fledgling tour. Those nerves came to the fore as the American’s nearly insurmountable lead was whittled to just two-shots before he held on to collect his maiden LIV title, by that margin.
Gooch only dropped one shot in his closing 73 but a Sunday charge from, well, pretty much everyone including home-town hero Cameron Smith heaped pressure on the leader who had been flawless and bogey-free until his final round wobbles.
He was never passed, despite the best efforts of the chasers including Anirban Lahiri who got closer than anyone, and was only two back with two to play, before finishing second after a closing 65.
“I think golf is just really hard,” Gooch said after a tougher day than he hoped, ready to celebrate with his long-time Australian caddy, Mal Baker.
“It‘s hard to put back-to-back days together like I did and even harder to do it three times in a row. I actually played fine out there today. The golf gods I think said, we don’t want this first win to be easy on you.
“Had a couple bad breaks here and there, so it made things interesting, but it was cool to kind of overcome the adversity and dig deep after I made a double on No. 10. It was kind of a point of we‘re either going to dig deep and do this or you’re going to stumble coming in.
“It was cool to dig deep and get the job done.”
Smith, who finally got on the LIV podium in 2023, delighted with a hole-out from a bunker as one of his seven birdies as he put together a final round 66 full of near misses to end his homecoming adventure in a tie for third.
But the anatomy of Gooch’s final round put to bed the ongoing criticism of LIV as “exhibition golf”, creating drama the fans rode all day.
When the American sprayed his tee-shot on the ninth hole way right, after back-to-back bogeys, his first ones for the tournament, his swing seemingly falling apart, his lead cut in half as others charged, his pursuit of the massive winner’s cheque was teetering.
The ghosts of LIV boss Greg Norman, who famously squandered a six-shot lead in the final round of the 1996 Masters and even shot a final round 74 to hang on and win at The Grange in 1976, loomed large over Gooch as the pay day looked less certain.
Gooch, 31, made par on that ninth hole but then flew over the green from a front bunker having already come out of the trees on the 10th, and four nervous, ugly, hand-shaking putts resulted in a double-bogey. The lead was down to two, eight shots wiped off his lead.
A birdie at the 11th, making about a three metre putt, pushed the lead back out to three, as did another at the par five 13th, giving breathing space for Gooch who had tight everything as the finish line neared.
Birdies for the chasers dried up as holes ran out and Gooch’s nerves settled enough for him to hang on.
While Gooch took out the individual title Pat Perez, who has been maligned for cashing in on the success of others, riding the coat-tails of his 4 Aces teammates in 2022 and making a massive $12 million despite an average finish of 32nd in eight events, flipped the script and was his team’s main main as they came from behind to win.
For the record the All-Australian “Ripper GC” team, which started the final day on the bottom of the leaderboard , climbed all the way to finish eighth among the 12 teams.
LEADERBOARD
19-under Talor Gooch
17-under Anirban Lahiri
15-under Patrick Reed, Cameron Smith, Cameron Tringale, Pat Perez
THE AUSSIES
15-under Cameron Smith
11-under Marc Leishman
2-under Matt Jones
1-under Jed Morgan
Originally published as Talor Gooch avoids an epic choke to win LIV event in Adelaide
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