Hugo Costa

Updated Sunday, February 11, 2024-01:02

Second consecutive week of competition at LIV Golf, second tournament of the season and second outcome with

Jon Rahm

in the main match. On this occasion sharing the spotlight with Dustin Johnson, final winner of the tournament, and

Bryson DeChambeau

. The story, however, was not very different from what happened six days ago in

Mayakoba.

Jon Rahm reached the co-leadership of the tournament with the last holes remaining and his swing got stuck again just in those crucial moments where throughout his career, 'Rahmbo' was capable of giving his all. Eighth place means very little, taking into account the disastrous finish with two bogeys in the last four holes of the Spanish golfer.

Las Vegas, city of sin, even more chaotic on the eve of the

Superbowl,

was the setting for this second chapter of the LIV 2024 season. It was not an easy final day at

Las Vegas Country Club,

the wind made the streets narrower and the greens were more complicated, the fight for victory then seemed to become a matter of survival. Rahm had gone three strokes behind the head and at the height of the 14th hole, to show the complications of the day,

A meager card of -1 had helped him reach the top of the tournament with -10 along with five other players. But again another errant drive to the right on the par 5, 15th, forced the Spaniard to hit the ball into the fairway and risk his birdie intention with a long third shot. Cañazo, socket, shank..., there are many ways to call a shot so missed that the player hits the ball almost with the neck of the club and it goes dramatically deviated to the right. Fortunately, Rahm gives very few of these blows throughout his season, but today he left one and it was very painful.

Barrika

was lucky

with a lucky bounce that avoided being out of bounds and seemed to come back to life with a superb approach leaving a couple of meters for par, which would fail. Here the tournament would end for Rahm, who would culminate the final holes fighting against his swing, a great putt on the 16th and a final bogey on the 18th hole.

Without Rahm but everything aimed at a playoff, Dustin Johnson, as well as who doesn't want it, raised a round over par with birdies in the final odd numbers, 13, 15 and 17, enough to manage the victory with a stroke advantage over

Talor Gooch

and

Peter Uihlein.

It is the third victory in the LIV for the North American who in his journey on the PGA Tour achieved 24 triumphs valid for the American Circuit and 9 on the

DP World Tour,

among which two majors stand out. Another legendary player trapped in LIV, who despite his success, bleeds week after week of world ranking points while filling his pockets with dollars.

The Spanish David Puig finished in 15th place in the final, tied with -5, while Sergio García finished in 26th place (-3). Eugenio López-Chacarra finished sharing thirtieth place with a final result of -2.

As for the team classification, the victory was overwhelming for Smash GC led by

Brooks Koepka

with -33. Jon Rahm's

Legion

XIII

once again had an outstanding performance, finishing in fifth place.