LIV Mayakoba Recap- Joaquin Niemann Outlasts Sergio, Rahm’s Legion Wins Debut

Matt Adams recaps a thrilling finish at LIV Mayakoba that saw Joaquin Niemann outlast Sergio Garcia through 4 playoff holes for individual victory and Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII win their debut LIV event.

Let’s get to some highlights and show you how it all went down where did it go down right here in Paradise at Maya COA most impressive indeed so too was the performance of this young man Caleb serat only 19 he overcame a triple bogey by making birdies on his final five

Holes he secured the team win for John Robins Legion 13 and along the way that team win he also had a tie for 13th the young golfer just moved out of his dorm 10 days ago he’s made over a million dollars that’s Hatton for 7 under 64 for

Him to support Legion 13’s efforts what about Captain John Ram well he was in the mix in his efforts to win upon his individual debut too but Bogies on his last two holes did him in that was a birdie uh at the 15th Wen Neeman he opened with that 59 the second lowest

Score in lives history was assessed a two-stroke penalty after an incorrect drop in the second round but he did not in the final round to overcome earning his way into a playoff this was an opportunity if we went outright at 18 that playoff ended up going four holes

Sergio Garcia would end up it was in darkness by the time the only thing was lit up was by by the Jumbotron uh he hit a bad shot out of trouble and waen had a birdie opportunity to finish it and to be done with this little doubt about this one splits

The hole in two and he secures his victory and with that Victory For Walkin Neeman finishing on 12 underpar Two Shots clear again of John ROM and Dean burmaster who both finished at 10 under Wen spoke about it afterwards in terms of what this meant and what else he’d like to be doing

A lot of different days obviously the first day coming with expectations I was playing good uh first tournament of of the Le season and yeah I was expecting a lot for myself and I was able to to manage myself through the golf course really well and and ended up shooting 59 which

He was I mean I think it’s a dream be under 60 it was close for the 54 but not quite um and yeah and then Saturday got this was a really tricky day the win the wi got up obviously I was on on on the lead by a few strokes

And yeah I mean I think it was a little bit harder to play well after that round and then the win getting up and yeah and then Saturday was still a pretty good day a good test for what was coming on Sunday and then Sunday and

Started a little bit different uh was I I got two shot penalty on on Sunday morning which it was a little bit a little bit hard to swallow the beginning but then I knew that I had to CH the change the situation and and not let the situ the situation beat me and

Yeah I mean it just I think it gave me more energy to go out and fight uh and and prove myself that I mean it’s not going to bother me so I was I’m pretty happy the day ended up this way especially how the morning started so I

Think dinner is going to t a little bit better than breakfast it wouldn’t be nice to be feel a little bit alone here it’s always fun to have the the three other haveo Sebastian and Carlos on on my side here especially on on interviews I think make

It a little more more fun and yeah it wouldn’t be nice being being with them on throwing us Champagne and but yeah I mean I think it’s it’s still good we still have a good finish uh we were kind of outside the top six during the day and and they

They start making some bies and we end they up on the top three so so yeah I mean hly it’s a little bit harder with the with the format being the four scorecards you got to we got to play the four of us really good golf and and yeah

I mean still still still a good finish for the team I think we got a lot more to prove during during the season and is it’s nice to take that first win for individual as as a team yeah I believe so I think I think I have a different

Mindset for for this year uh I mean I want to it kind of hurt me a little bit not being on the majors and I think also helped me uh to get motivation to to kind of ear my my sport my spot back into the majors into the into the

Lead players and yeah I think it was I think it helped me a little bit to to get focused back uh to start working harder to start working with a with a propose and and yeah I think is I think it’s paying off and I just I mean I just

Want to keep telling myself that I’m capable of of doing this of winning tournaments and and this is a way uh this is a good way to prove that and and yeah I mean I don’t want to I don’t want to stop working the way I’m doing it and

I just want to keep going what king nean first individual Victory on Liv golf he has two PGA Tour wins to his credit he’s also won on the DP World Tour overall he has won 11 times amongst the professional ranks he was a member of the 2019 International

Presidents Cup team so for Legion 13 after they won the team competition there was the opportunity for John Rah and more to reflect on what his team did feels great feels great uh it’s very nice you know in in a day in which in any normal tournament I would

Have probably been upset at my finish to actually have something to celebrate now is one of the big reasons why I decided to transition uh to share the stage with those three guys to share the the golf course with all the other teams and and compete for something else is what it’s

All about and uh it means a lot you know it’s it’s really fun to be out there on the golf course and see the team doing well right uh first time I I was able to see any scores was in 12 and by that point tro was already seven under and

The other guys were also doing great work so we we had a comfortable lead and that also motivated me to play a little bit better right so you can definitely use the all the variables going on to your advantage so it was definitely a lot of fun uh proud of these guys

Honestly how they they battled um we all come out here as pretty much as rookies I know Kieran played one or two rounds for for team smash last year and uh he knew a little bit of what to expect but three of us didn’t and for us

To do what we did and perform and get the win uh you know I’m glad that we proved it to ourselves and everybody that were some we’re a team to to uh we’re Team to oh I can’t team to yeah exactly team to rec yeah definitely it

Was motivating to to go out there and know that you’re playing for for three other guys today um fortunately for me I got off to a nice start and it was uh it was nice to actually see some putts go in compared to the previous round so um

Yeah very happy with how I played and um you know the fact that we’ve we’ve won in our first week out together is um is great and obviously looking forward to the rest of the year now I’m I’m the opposite to Kieran I look at every

Leaderboard I can I like to know where I stand I like to know the score and uh there’s always information on on the leaderboard that that can motivate me unfortunately I never saw the team score until 12 that was the first time I saw it and and it was uh a glad surprise

To be honest right because at that point I was still I was even par struggling throughout the day and and kind like I said earlier CN D I think at that point we were 21 under it was it was a very motivating factor so it kind of helped

Me make a a clutch four-footer to then go on that birdie streak I went on so but yeah I try to look as much as I can This is the End helping I I said I said to the lads at the back like just don’t go don’t spray it in in each other’s

Face don’t do it and he spray my face I’d already got my champagne ready and I was just stood there and the C went off so I had to get another one and then I couldn’t undo it so I’m just stood there at the back everyone’s like sprayed

Their champagne so I was looking like an idiot at the back and then eventually I did get it off and just sprayed everyone in the face anyway it always happens to somebody to yeah uh it was great it was great uh I had to be careful cuz Caleb was right

Next to me right so I didn’t want to overdo it with him but uh yeah after I got Terell while he was trying to uncore Cas and I believe I got I got Kieran on the face uh I think I did a good number on Caleb I was very

Conscious not to like do it towards his face or mouth he’s never drank before so I’m really trying not to but you know I think you you know some of the pl must have probably got his first taste of alcohol which made you know if there’s a

Reason to do it a team win is is definitely a good one well it’s hard to know what to expect right um I think we all had probably our certain reserves for the week right it’s it’s different to any competition we’ve been in before and there’s a lot to adapt to right

And I think we have to get through that to then think about winning but clearly you know uh I don’t think these three guys had the best St the first two days but you know they showed it today right so uh with the fact that we were in contention I knew

Today was was definitely a day where we could get it done um I don’t know no I wouldn’t say we’re ahead of schedule I mean the goal is to win right IID like to thank everybody in this podium in this interview right now when anytime

They te up they want to win and uh that’s the whole point of being here and uh kind of like what Caleb said is the whole point of the logo and the whole point of the name behind it so um I would say we’re right on schedule

Hopefully we can keep doing it uh well I mean I wouldn’t I didn’t know what to expect so it’s I mean but all of us it’s these are new experiences so um but I really enjoyed the week and um see winning winning as a team is is good fun

And hopefully we can keep that going