Brooks Koepka beats Jon Rahm in play-off to win LIV Golf Greenbrier title

Brooks Koepka, aged 34, triumphed over Jon Rahm, 29, in a playoff to secure the LIV Golf Greenbrier title on Sunday, marking his fifth career victory in the Saudi-backed series.

The five-time major champion Koepka recorded a par on the initial playoff hole, while Rahm incurred a bogey.

Koepka, whose last LIV victory was in May in Singapore, expressed that this win holds special significance due to the competitive nature of his match against Rahm.

"This is probably my favorite one," Koepka remarked. "It's always rewarding to compete against strong players."

He acknowledged Rahm's prowess, stating, "Jon is an exceptional player. For some reason, he has had the upper hand on me recently. It feels gratifying to finally secure a win."

Rahm had previously bested Koepka in the final round of the 2023 Masters, earning his second major title, but Koepka indicated that this did not serve as additional motivation.

"I wasn't focused on that," he noted. "It was simply about playing golf. This is a significant win."

In the final round, Koepka achieved a remarkable seven-under par 63, while Rahm finished with a 65, leaving both players at 19-under 191 after 54 holes at the Old White course in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

American Jason Kokrak finished third at 18-under, with England's 51-year-old Richard Bland and Australian Marc Leishman tied for fourth at 17-under.

During the playoff, Rahm's tee shot on the par-3 18th landed at the back edge of a bunker. With one leg in the sand and the other out, he blasted the ball 20 feet past the hole.

Koepka missed his birdie attempt but tapped in for par, while Rahm's par putt lipped out, granting Koepka the victory.

Koepka's previous LIV titles were secured in Jeddah in 2022 and 2023, Orlando in 2023, and Singapore.

Koepka achieved significant victories at the US Open in both 2017 and 2018, as well as at the PGA Championships in 2018, 2019, and 2023.

Rahm, who secured the US Open title in 2021, transitioned from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf last December and claimed his inaugural LIV event last month, winning LIV Golf UK at Centurion in England.

Earlier this month, the Spaniard finished in fifth place at the Paris Olympics.

Despite this setback, Rahm maintained his position as second in the season standings, trailing Chile's Joaquin Niemann, with the season title set to be determined at the regular-season finale in Chicago next month.

Rahm made a five-foot par putt at the 10th hole, tying Koepka for the lead at 16-under and igniting a competitive back-nine showdown.

Bland, after recording three consecutive birdies, made an eagle at the par-5 12th hole to take the lead at 17-under.

Koepka responded with a tap-in birdie at the 12th to equal Bland's score, then sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the 13th to take the lead at 18-under, while Rahm also birdied the 13th to remain one stroke behind.

Late in the round, Rahm made a strong comeback. After Koepka made a 15-foot birdie putt at the 14th, he extended his lead to two strokes.

However, Rahm birdied the 16th and the par-5 17th, tying the lead with Koepka, whose birdie attempt at 17 narrowly missed, leading both players to par the 18th and necessitating a playoff.

Rahm, who shot a 62 on Saturday, began Sunday with a birdie, reaching 15-under and establishing a two-stroke lead.

Koepka responded by birdieing two of his first three holes, closing the gap to one stroke, and both players birdied the fourth hole. Rahm made a bogey on the sixth, allowing Koepka to take the lead with a birdie on the seventh.

Koepka's team, Smash, which included Kokrak, triumphed in the team competition with a score of 53-under, defeating Leishman and the all-Australian Ripper squad by three strokes.