Sebastian Munoz captures maiden LIV Golf victory in playoff thriller over Jon Rahm at Indianapolis
Colombian golfer Sebastian Munoz claimed his breakthrough LIV Golf title in dramatic fashion Sunday, defeating former world number one Jon Rahm in a playoff at the LIV Golf Indianapolis event in Westfield, Indiana. The victory came after Munoz delivered clutch birdies on the final two holes of regulation to force extra holes before sealing the win with another birdie on the 18th.
Munoz entered the final day sharing the lead with Dustin Johnson at 16-under-par but found himself trailing after a bogey on the 15th hole dropped him to 20-under. Meanwhile, Rahm was mounting a spectacular charge from his overnight position tied for ninth, firing a bogey-free front nine featuring five birdies before adding an eagle and four consecutive closing birdies to post 22-under and take the clubhouse lead.
The pressure situation brought out the best in Munoz, who responded with consecutive birdies on holes 17 and 18 to force the playoff. In the extra hole, Rahm's birdie attempt slid just left of the cup, allowing Munoz to secure his first LIV Golf triumph after three years of near-misses that included six top-five finishes.
"There's no words to describe it right now. I'm proud of myself," Munoz said. "It's been a long time coming, six years since my last win, and it's awesome right now being able to take it in with my daughter, my family, everyone here, it's great."
Despite missing out on the tournament victory, Rahm achieved his primary season objective by capturing the LIV Golf Individual Championship for the second consecutive year. The Spanish star edged Chile's Joaquin Niemann in the season-long points race, accumulating 226.16 points compared to Niemann's 223.66 total.
Rahm's championship triumph was particularly remarkable given he failed to win a single tournament during the 2025 LIV season. Instead, he relied on exceptional consistency, including three runner-up finishes in the final four events to overtake Niemann, who had dominated the early season with five victories in the first 12 tournaments.
The bittersweet nature of Rahm's day was evident in his post-round comments. "Slightly bittersweet. Like I know I'm supposed to be happy. It's a great moment. But it just doesn't feel great to finish the year losing two playoffs," Rahm said. "That part doesn't feel great, so I'm sure over time I'll get over that, and I really appreciate what I've done this year. To be able to win the season without actually winning a tournament, I know eventually I'll be proud of that."
Niemann acknowledged Rahm's superior play while reflecting on his own near-miss in the individual standings. "We all know how good of a player he is, and yeah, he played amazing," Niemann said. "I feel like he didn't miss many shots, made a lot of putts, left his ball close to the hole pretty much every time. I played good. I started playing my best golf on the back nine, which I'm proud of it, but at the end of the day, the putts didn't drop, and it wasn't enough."
The team competition saw Torque GC, featuring both Munoz and Niemann, claim victory with a commanding 64-under-par total that left them 10 strokes ahead of second-place Legion XIII. Maverick McNealy rounded out the individual podium in third place at 11-under following a flawless final-round 66.
The tournament's conclusion also determined the final field for the 2026 LIV Golf season, with England's Ian Poulter securing the last guaranteed spot by finishing 48th in the individual standings. Six players including Henrik Stenson, Andy Ogletree, Mito Pereira, Yubin Jang, Anthony Kim, and Frederik Kjettrup fell into the relegation zone and must earn their way back through qualifying events.
The 2025 LIV Golf season concludes with the Team Championship event scheduled for August 22-24 at The Cardinal at St. John's in Plymouth, Michigan.
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