Brooks Koepka tops Jon Rahm in 2024 LIV Golf Greenbrier playoff for second victory of season

Brooks Koepka's week began lamenting his lackluster season; it ended with a final-round 63 and his second trip to the LIV Golf winner's circle. Overcoming a two-stroke deficit at the onset of the day, Koepka claimed 2024 LIV Golf Greenbrier in a playoff over Jon Rahm at 19 under for his fifth title on the 54-hole circuit and his first since the week before the PGA Championship.

Koepka now has a league-high five LIV Golf victories individually; sweetening the pot, his Smash GC squad claimed the team competition over Ripper GC thanks to strong efforts from Talor Gooch and Jason Kokrak. It represents their second team title of the season having won in Las Vegas earlier in the year.

"I think this is probably my favorite one," Koepka said. "It's always good when you battle good players. I battled Gooch for a while last year, felt like every tournament, but yeah, Jon is a hell of a player. For whatever reason, he's always got the better of me a little bit as of late. So, it feels nice just to get one."

Rahm was in pole position at the onset of the final round in search of his second straight LIV Golf win. Having just claimed LIV Golf United Kingdom, the Spaniard was in his element early. His opening birdie was matched by Koepka, and the duel was on between the two major champions.

Koepka tacked on a couple more birdies, and when Rahm blinked with a bogey on the par-4 6th, the two were tied at the top. Koepka pushed forward from there with another circle on his scorecard shortly thereafter, which forced Rahm to play catch up. He held steady among a chasing pack that included Richard Bland, Marc Leishman and Jason Kokrak.

Falling as many as two behind Koepka with four holes to play, the Legion XIII captain pulled even thanks to birdies on Nos. 16-17. Matching pars on the last meant the two titans needed more than 54 holes to settle the score. They returned to the tee on the par 3 where Rahm missed the green in regulation. Once Koepka found the surface, the pressure was applied. When Rahm was unable to save par, Koepka's fifth trophy of a different kind was claimed.

"It was just one of those things -- just go play golf and go get it in the hole as quickly as possible," Koepka said. "Played really well today. I'm proud of myself for that. It's a good win. I'm ready to get home and go see my wife and kid."