Dean Burmester (-9) has achieved his first victory of the season, the second of his career in LIV Golf, surpassing Jon Rahm (-9) and Josele Ballester (-9) in an exciting three-way playoff at the Bolingbrook Golf Club in Chicago. The 36-year-old South African golfer, who started as the leader in the final round with a two-shot advantage, was able to overcome a terrifying start to the round, with three consecutive bogeys, to ultimately leave the Spaniards wanting more on the first playoff hole.
Last year, at the Miami event, Burmester opened his victory account on the tour also in a playoff and against a Spaniard, Sergio García. This Sunday, he achieved the most difficult feat yet, after seeing how the one-shot lead he had going into the 54th hole of the tournament vanished following a poor approach shot and how a bad start in the playoff sent his ball into the rough. An error that did not prevent him from hitting a spectacular iron shot to leave himself a final putt of just over a metre to seal a well-deserved victory and pocket a four-million-dollar cheque.
DEAN BURMESTER WINS IN CHICAGO 🏆🍾
He takes his second LIV Golf Individual Title 💪#LIVGolfChicago @stingergc_ pic.twitter.com/nuGGG092UJ
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) August 10, 2025
Jon and Josele, who had fought throughout the round to reach the end with a chance, achieved their goal of forcing an extra hole at the last moment, with two great shots to close their respective rounds with birdies: chipping close from Barrika after a great drive from the 18th tee and playing with an iron off the tee for the player from Castellón to ensure his tremendous power didn’t send his ball into the sand traps. But after doing the most difficult part, they succumbed with less precise iron shots in their second playoff shots against the South African.
The three shared the star group this Sunday in Chicago, but their round start was so complicated that several more contenders quickly joined the race for victory. Sergio García (-2), with three birdies in his first four holes, was one of them, although he eventually faded after several mistakes. Carlos Ortiz (-8) fought until the end but lacked precision on the last two flags. Meanwhile, Branden Grace (-7), like the Mexican, became co-leader but was not sharp enough to close his round and fell short.
It’s all going on in Chicago 👀
We have team and individual playoffs coming up!
🇺🇸Tune into @FOXTV
📲Stream on the LIV Golf App#LIVGolfChicago pic.twitter.com/A2MLT6yUMH— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) August 10, 2025
Rahm, with a tied second place, could not successfully defend the title he won at this same venue less than a year ago, which remains his last victory to date. However, the 27 points he gains in the overall standings will allow him to head to Indianapolis next week with a real chance of fighting to retain the crown in the LIV Golf order of merit. Joaquín Niemann’s (-2) attempt to climb up to a tied 17th place in this final round in Chicago leaves him with a margin of just over 12 points in the overall standings.
Josele, on the other hand, could not open his victory account as a professional in what was his fifth tournament in LIV Golf, but he showed that once adapted to the circuit, with a simply overwhelming game from the tee and a calmness in key moments uncharacteristic of a golfer of his youth, the titles will not take long to arrive. He had it within reach today, a pity about that mistake on the risk-reward 15th where his brutal tee shot deserved a birdie, but he ended up with a bogey that cost him dearly.
Sergio, with a par round, finished tied in the standings with David Puig (-2), who shot one less this Sunday. In the team competition, the victory was also decided in a playoff between the Stinger GC (-17) and the Torque GC (-17). The South Africans, with two players from each team in play, managed to win by one stroke. Rahm’s Legion XIII remains at the top of the team standings, ahead of the Crushers and the Fireballs with one more tournament until the grand final.
