On Wednesday, August 13, Team Crushers GC took the podium at Chatham Hills Golf Club near Indianapolis, IN to discuss their success this year so far and preparation for the Individual Championship at @LIVGolf Indianapolis.
The Crushers have 3 team wins in 2025 (8 wins all time, plus the 2023 Team Championship). They are currently 2nd in the 2025 LIV Golf League Team standings, 46.66 points behind Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII.
Led by Captain @brysondechambeau the Crushers talked about the season thus far, their preparation for this event, the goals of the team and their preparation for the Team Championship next week
https://www.youtube.com/@brysondechambeau
https://www.youtube.com/@CrushersGC
https://www.youtube.com/@LIVGolf
All right, let’s welcome the team of Crushers GC. Captain Bryson, I’ll start with you. You come into the final event of the regular season, sitting third in the standings. Uh with Dean’s win last week, tightening the race for the podium. How are you approaching this week and are you keeping an eye on any of those players who could challenge you for a top three spot? Yeah, absolutely. Um first off, it’s great to be here. Second off, uh I put myself in a solid position for the the podium. I’ve done it for the past few years and want to finally get on that podium. That’d be awesome to to do and had a chance last week to, you know, win and, you know, have a chance to to win the overall, but didn’t happen. And is what it is. But this week, you know, uh, focused on my own game, uh, hitting the best shots I can for the team and, uh, hopefully getting on the team podium as well. Just on the team, Crushers are currently second in the team standings. all four of your guys are currently safe in the lock zone heading into this week. What does that say about the strength and depth of this team? Yeah, that we’re uh we’re pretty good. That’s why we we built this team and that’s why we were able to play so well this year. Um proud of the boys for how they um competed all year. And would we have liked to have won more? Yeah. Um I think each one of these guys would have won wanted to win an individual title and maybe that’s this week. uh albeit we all give each other a tough tough bout for it. Um and I think ultimately that’s that’s what makes our team so great is we’re trying to win. Each each person is trying to win every single week and they have the ability to win each and every week. That’s what’s that’s why it’s so special. That’s why we’re uh who we are. Um you know, and I couldn’t be more proud of the way that they have have worked their butt off and grinded to be the best they possibly can be. So yeah, Paul, you’ve had a solid season. You’re 12th in the standings. your best finish being the T2 in Dallas. How would you sum up your year so far and what would it mean to break into the top 10 this week? Um it’s um it’s been an interesting season because I I came into the beginning of the year after offer surgery in September on my uh right toe, big toe. And so a lot of unknowns coming into this year, getting through the beginning half of the season, I was actually just happy hitting the golf ball the way I was and able to compete. And it’s interesting how quickly then that changes and your and your goal shift. And so I think you’ve seen a um if you look at my results, how things have kind of escalated in in the last few weeks because I’m truly now fit. It’s kind of frustrating. We’re kind of coming to a close. I’d like to keep going. Um but you know still haven’t won out here which is you know a goal of mine but I’m but I’m really happy with my game. So it’s it’s it’s mixed. Um deep down I don’t think I’m ever satisfied. That’s kind of you know part of my makeup. Um so I got one more opportunity this week to kind of you know try to fix that if I can and win. And then obviously my attention is going to shift very rapidly into next next week with the team because you you talk about you asked Bryson the question how you know the team and our success this year. But I think right now we we most of us or certainly from my angle I would give up even another team win this week in order to be successful ne next week as a team cuz having tasted victory as a team and then um we got dispatched last year by the Iron Heads pretty swiftly. Um I think we kind of we’ve got unfinished business. Anaban and Charles sort of a similar question for you both. So you’re 23rd and 24th in the individual standings just within within that lock zone. How much is securing that top 24 spot this week on your mind and what would it mean to achieve that this week, Charles? Oh, well, I think what’s on at least my mind, I can’t speak for Bond, is just to play good golf and um you know, we’ve uh it’s weird to think actually there’s only one more event left after this. Like it season seems to like wrap up really quick, you know, with three in a row and um you obviously want to play great as a as an individual and a team this week, but I think obviously our focus is probably on the team championship next week after having won one of those. And uh man, that’s a that’s a really cool feeling, right? And so love to do that. Um two new venues this week and next. Um golf course here is awesome. It’s actually in very good shape. Played it a couple times and um yeah, it’s going to be a nice uh it’s going to be a great finish to the individual uh season obviously this year when Bryson gets a win this year and tries to make things interesting on that. Right. So, but no, it’s I think our team’s all played awesome golf this year and want to keep doing it. I can’t get number one. No, that’s okay though. Maybe you can finish second. Okay. Yeah, maybe hang in there. Anabon, same question for you. Yeah, you know, if I look back at my season, it’s been uh up up and down quite a bit. Um, I started playing a little bit better in the middle of the season and then I’ve just kind of felt like I’ve taken my foot off the gas the last few weeks. Uh, so I take that I take my performances very seriously, very personally and my goal this week is to just get into contention on Sunday. Um I kind of know where I sit uh you know inside the lock zone but my thoughts and my focus is just on uh you know playing my best this week uh sticking to my processes my goals and all those things that I’ve done well over the last few years that have allowed me to you know be competitive and and and get into uh situations or positions where I could win and that’s literally the only thing on my mind for the next four five days um I you know I don’t have to talk about my teammates they are phenomen phenomenal golfers and our record shows that we know what we’re doing. So, you know, my focus uh remains firmly on what I need to do and how I need to contribute uh to the team and that’s by playing my best golf. So, that’s literally the only thing that I’m u thinking about. And then like Paul said, you know, it’s uh it’s going to be a overnight shift. You know, you go to sleep on Sunday and on Monday you don’t play for yourself anymore. Um so, that’s going to be interesting. Uh, you know, I haven’t I haven’t had we haven’t had the best record the last few years, so that’s something we want to change. Um, but yeah, you know, whatever whatever comes comes. Just uh stay in the present right now. Awesome. Over to you, Mike. Bryson, do you remember the uh top speed you got to at the speedway when you made the visit a few weeks ago? Oh my goodness. Um, no. It was over It was close to 200 something miles an hour. I don’t know. something like that. It It was close to 200 miles an hour from what I remember. Can’t specifically remember what it was, but it was around there. And what’s the fastest you’ve been in in your own car? I can’t say cuz I’ve been at a pretty good pace sometimes. No, I’m I’m safe though. I’m definitely safe. Well, the reason I asked is I was just curious if it gave you a feel for what your golf ball might Oh, yes. Yeah. No, that’s the truth. I mean, when it’s upwards of close to 200 mph, like what’s crazy about those cars, too, is when you’re turning corners, you feel like you’re just going straight into the wall and then all of a sudden you hit into the ground, like the aerodynamics and push the car into the ground and you feel the ground even even more. And it’s like I it’s something I’ve never experienced before and I didn’t know how to describe it fully, but it’s it’s a it’s a feeling of you almost get more stable the faster it goes, which is really cool cuz when we went out of the shoot like we’re tail whipping the thing and it’s not and then all of a sudden it just locks down and that’s part of the the aerodynamics of it which is really cool. Um and it just it just gets my my physics brain going which is which is really cool. And um but just to experience that, I mean that’s that’s that’s honestly for me a once in a lifetime experience. I don’t know when I would do that again. I mean I could try to do it again, but I’d also like to go up in a in a jet. That’d be fun with the Thunderbirds or something like that. That’d be that’d be another one. I’d probably throw up, but it’d be fun. Can you can you take anything like that when you do something like that to drive and and use it somehow figure out a way to to benefit your golf game? I just say from like a mental state like the focus level. I’m not driving the car. So, if I was driving the car, it’d be even more heightened. But obviously going into fight or flight mode, you could sense that sort of u adrenaline hit you get from, you know, even just the guy in front of me being a driver of knowing, okay, I got to turn now. Got it. It every single second matters. And this it’s the same thing on the golf course, like when you’re checking the wind and hitting a golf shot, like every single second matters. You’ve got to be very attentive to your environment and what you’re doing. So, I think I can relate to it like that. Um, outside of that, I don’t know how they they keep focused for four hours in their own way driving a car. Um, it’s just crazy what they do. Yeah. And and for you guys, I’m just curious, what you think the most Bryson thing Bryson has done this year. Play good golf. Well, what a great question, by the way. Charles for Paul, what do you got? I know you got something. Here we go. I’ll take a rain check on that. and I’ll give you an answer. I’ll I’ll follow up some other point. All right, Bon, come on. Give him something good. Give him something good. Why? What? I mean, okay. Okay. Okay. Now you stop talking. No, I There we go. All I’m going to say is um flashback to Mexico where he played really well and we’re playing at altitude and the ball’s going thousand miles and he’s just got the biggest smile on his face cuz he’s driving it great. He’s hitting his, you know, shots and he’s not moving much. He’s like, “This is what I want. I want my golf ball to always fly at 9,000 ft.” Like, Bryson, you realize how stupid you sound when you say that. He’s like, “No, I know I can do it.” And then he goes to Korea where it’s super humid, sea level, and he wins. And I said, “Now you realize how stupid you sounded, but well, now he’s got a golf ball that does something that he wants.” Just to give you an example that he does Bryson things where he is able to perform at 9,000 ft at sea level, but his brain never stops. And it’s almost like, you know, there’s nothing you can do. But then that’s how these new products come out. So that’s hats off to him for developing constantly. Whether he needs it or not is another question, right? Cuz he I just gave you an example. I need a lot of help, Bon. Okay. No, but that’s a different Okay. Okay. Great. Uh I am testing or just messing around with the Tour Professional 100 today as a 30y old golf ball. That’s exactly what he needs. He needs a He needs a 30-year-old golf ball. You see what I mean? College. Paul, that’s exactly what he needs. Yeah. Yeah. 30 years old. 1995. What was the first golf ball y’all played with? I think couldn’t get hold of Torbadas. Torbadas were like gold dust. I’m old enough. I remember 162s wrapped up pen folds wrapped up in paper. Pimmen drivers. Wow. When was the tour prestige? Was it after the tour? Sorry, we’ve gone off the rails here. No, that just showed me how old y’all are. It’s great. I don’t know. Some of you I don’t know. You guys saw me playing with a pacimon driver at JCV practice round JCV playing that. So that was cool. I’ll give you another perspective. Sounds good. I grew up in India where you couldn’t get golf balls. So the nicest golf ball I could play with was a Topflight XL. Oh wow. Nothing wrong with it. But there was you couldn’t get anything else new. We had to actually wait for pro tournaments to come in. The old pros would leave their golf balls and then we’d go and buy it used. That’s the only way I could get a decent golf ball. Just to give you a completely different perspective of, oh, this is not good enough for me. That’s how I grew up. No, it gives great perspective. Thanks for kicking me and you know good stay. I don’t know how to follow that. It’s perfect. I did want to ask about the team the team championship format because you guys have had a buy each of the first three years. Obviously, we’ve changed the format. Just wanted to get your reaction to that. Yeah, I think um it’s a team championship. The best team is going to be the team that plays I mean it’s it’s it’s no secret the best that week. Um and even that day, right? Like it’s a dayto-day sort of thing. Um, you know, it’s not the culmination of a year’sl long work, which to us is like a little h, you know, I think it could be different, but um, you know, it’s it’s it’s one week and we have to go into it with a mindset of, okay, this is just another tournament. We’ve got to we got to win. It’s a little bit different rules. Let’s let’s just go win match play. It’s a different animal, different beast. We’ve got to focus our mindset into um I I go a little more aggressive. I I’m not sure how necessarily the others play and I let them do their thing. That’s how I lead, how I try to lead. But for us, you know, it’s it’s it’s just a bit of a different mentality. And uh this year, not having a buy, I think, is fine. Hopefully, we can over uh you know, a percentage basis, we can win. Um because we are better than most out here. Hopefully, we don’t get kicked to the curb like last year. Um but for me, I’m I’m totally fine with it. It is what it is and everybody’s got to play into the same rules. We just have to play better than better than others. I will I will add this. Throwing my memory back to Dal when we won that Sunday round where everybody’s shots counted, the stroke play element was one of the most nerve-wracking rounds of golf I’ve ever played. Yeah. And that’s over 25 years of doing this. And I go back to that. It was quite exceptional how that kind of the pressure was there. and having comparing that to all the events I’ve ever played where um that pressure just isn’t the same plain and simple. It doesn’t mean we want to, you know, I want to win less this week compared to a team thing, but there was something about that week that was just piled on the pressure because it if I screwed up, it affected everybody and the outcome was um very important to us. So, the match play is different. You’ve got to be aggressive. Um you got to eliminate but also eliminate mistakes and match plays match play. But the stroke play element on that Sunday is pressure packed and it’s it’s fascinating. I think also that golf course too like you knew you could make qu a quadruple bogey very easily on that golf course and it was flip of a switch you’re now dead last you know in that area. Um so that’s I think that’s what added to it as well. But we all wanted to win. We all we all wanted to show that we are the best team and we did. Thank you. Go ahead Matt. Uh Paul, you’ve had a kind of incredible track record uh on Pete Die courses throughout your career. Um does this course remind you of any of the other ones you’ve played in the past? It’s interesting because not I haven’t found a railroad tie yet. It’s like they ran out. He’s used them all up around the world or something. Uh I’m a big fan of Pete Dye. Um you know, it’s it’s um sad he’s no longer with us. Um but I’ve been uh I for me he’s been my favorite modern architect. Um, I think my first exposure to him was back at Arizona State when he had designed the Casten Golf Course there at In Tempe, Arizona, which unfortunately no longer exists. And I I’m a I’m a that’s a part of the game I like to study. I read um love the books going back to the kind of Harry I was a big Harry Cult fan and I think Harry Cult would have loved Pete Dy design. I love the tricks he he plays the he’s big on his optical illusions. You’ll see a lot of them this week. bunkers that you know look like they’re close together, not they’re staggered. There’s a lot of room out there. He loves to kind of create a a tension on a T-shot. He scares you on a t-shot and then you get down there and actually things open up. He hides a lot of uh he hides stuff. Um a couple of some water features out there you don’t see off the tea. It’s really clever stuff. And you know, all the way through his career, um he’s designed incredible golf courses and this one’s, you know, this one’s fascinating. Um, you know, yes, it’s a it’s round the houses, a bit more maybe country club, but it’s no less of a golf course. Um, so you’re going to see a great test this week and and maybe it’s not the longest golf course you’re going to see on paper, but I love it. Um, I think my record speaks for itself and so I’m looking to play well on this place. Does this course remind you of any of the ones you’ve played in the past like River Highlands or Sawrass or what? Yeah, I mean you can throw in the River Highlands and places like that. even reminded me. I don’t know who designed Nashville. Where did we go the other last year? But it just that feeling around the houses. Um I I don’t compare it. I tend not to compare it to other golf courses. Um other than you can see the traits. Uh other than the this is a lot more rustic. This is more organic in style. you know, the the water out there is, as I say, it’s not flanked by the railroad or the rail railway sleepers as I would call them with the sharp edges on the fairways that we typically see in place like Florida where he’s he’s been prominent. Um, so, you know, this will catch guys out. It’s kind of unassuming and the rough this week is is gnarly. Um, if you know his architecture and you and you can figure it out, I think you can be rewarded. Thank you. And uh for Charles and Anerbond, you guys are both kind of right on the borderline of the lock zone, not just for maintaining your standing, but is there part of like a personal pride element that you want to finish in that lock zone? Oh, I think for sure. Right. Like you want to play your best every week and um I think one element of Liv maybe underrated or understated is how competitive it is. And you know, you look at a leaderboard every week on live and my gosh, I mean, look at not only the scores the guys are shooting, but who they are and the names and etc., right? So, um, compared to other tours out there, you know, our leaderboards have recognizable names from the top to the bottom and and really, really, really good players, playing good on tough golf courses, right? So, um, yeah, I mean, you always want to do best you can, right? No matter where you are, you want to move up. And, um, obviously this is the last week to do it and it’s a big week to do it. I mean, not much to add there. Uh but yeah, you know, this is probably the worst I’ve found myself going into the last week. And like I said, I take pride in how I play and how I hold myself up to my own standards. And I haven’t really lived up to those. So I have one more week to kind of uh you know, just do what I need to do for myself first and that’s going to translate into everything else, how the team does, where I finish uh you know, in the top 24, etc., etc. So, I’m just trying to stay focused on what I need to do and let the results take care of itself. Thanks, guys. Go ahead, John. Uh, Bryson or Charles, this market is very underserved for pro golf. I don’t think they’ve had an annual men’s event here for decades. Um, just curious your perspectives. How much do you enjoy coming to a new market? And do you feel like this is Lib’s best domestic strategy going forward to maybe come to these areas that that don’t see a lot of pro golf? Yeah, I agree with that. I think that the markets that are starved for golf, we need to be more involved in uh that want us as well. I think there’s a community engagement uh level that that needs to be had. The economic driver that we have uh this week is massive for this this area and um we hope to continue to show that to to new unique markets. There’s plenty of markets out there that um would like to have live golf because of the economic impact and as well as numerous other things. Um but Indianapolis having an event here showcasing uh these great stars, this great talent, um uh an awesome venue is what’s needed for the game of golf and for Live personally in my opinion. Um, yeah, we go back to pretty much the same places every single time. And it’s, um, when I was at the tour, we went back to the same places every single time. And, and now it’s kind of cool how we’re going into different markets, infiltrating, and feeling out, uh, different places because they’re all starved of it. And it’s time for the game to move to places that that are starved. Um, so I I personally think it’s great. I can’t wait to see the crowds out here this week, see what uh what they’re all about, and honestly hope to uh give them everything they wanted and more. Um so I think it’s it’s Liv’s definitely one of their best strategies um to continue to go to these markets that are a little smaller and give them an opportunity to see what uh us top players in the world look like. Yeah, I had dinner uh with Steve Hinky last night who obviously owns and developed the property. And to hear the history of it, then to hear the excitement that Indianapolis has and the the people and the crowds we’re going to get, I think it’s incredible. I was told corporate hospitality sold out in two hours. I that’s really awesome, right? So, um it means we can build more. Uh but hearing those things from the ownership, how excited they are, how excited the city is in the community and uh that’s really awesome. I think we’re going to have a fantastic week of a lot of fans, a lot of that and hopefully we keep coming back here because uh right now we haven’t even played yet and the excitement is really high. Hi, I’m Claire. I’m here with CBS 4 and Fox 59 here locally. Um you guys have talked a little bit about the course and what you guys are looking forward to with the community. Um have you guys gotten to see Indianapolis at all and kind of explore uh you know what’s around and hope to come back at all? Well, I I’ve been to the Indy500. So I’ve been here I’ve been to Carmel before. Um, big fan of St. Elmo’s downtown and the shrimp cocktail. So, um, yeah, this is a cool cool spot. There’s some great I’m into my bicycles as well. Some great engineering around here and we visited um, some of the bicycle companies and OEMs in town. Um, my take out my take away from it though was the was the great people when you I think it was like 400,000 people at Indie 500 and it was one of the most awesome experiences I’ve ever had. I’m a big fan of sporting events and for me that was kind of a bucket list. Um, but it was that ability to put that many people in one place and have a harmonious kind of experience. I don’t think 200,000 of them watched a single minute of motorsport. I think there what was they call that? Is it snake pit or something in the middle? It’s like a Skrillex concert going on down there. It was mad. Um, but it was awesome. So this is um my golf knowledge around here is limited at best, but uh big fan of the town, big fan of the community. Right. Do we have any more questions? Go on my fingers. Troublemaker. No, no. I just was curious, Bryson, like to get your take on Waco versus Rom. Uh, you’ve been chasing them all year. Yeah. Um, they’ve been playing some unbelievable golf at Live and I think honestly John’s feet uh I think he finished 11th was his only was his highest finish. I kicked him out at in Dallas so I remember doing that. I was like yes, you know, no not in the top 10. Um, but his feat of not finishing outside 11th place in his entire career is quite honestly one of the best feats I’ve seen in a long time. Um, Walco winning as many times as he has another amazing feats. There’s been some incredible feats that have occurred for them to be where they’re at. And I played some solid golf. Not not my best, but my some some really solid golf and I got no chance to to win. And so, uh, it’s really impressive. The level of competition they bring to live is out of control. It makes it almost impossible for for some guys. And so, that’s what we need. We need continued, uh, push by those guys at the top to showcase what the best in the world look like. And, um, couldn’t be more proud of those individuals for for leading the way in that regard. And hopefully I can be at top next year and give myself a chance. But what they’re doing is is is great for Liv, it’s great for golf. And um honestly, I I think whoever wins, I I think it I’m not going to say, but um it’s going to be an awesome feat and historical uh year for those for either one of those individuals. All right, guys. Thank you very much. Play well this week. Thank you, guys.
3 Comments
Crushers!!
Went to Liv Chicago in Bolingbrook last weekend
It was great . Great golf and good charlotte after Golf Now that was AWESOME
as always…great comments from Crushers. Been to 7 events so far, and the competition is real. You see the same high quality shots, by highly skilled players that you see on other tours.