On Sunday at the 2026 LIV Golf Singapore event, Bryson DeChambeau ended a winless drought with a comeback playoff victory. But not without a little help from his playoff competitor.
That player, LIV Golf wild card Richard T. Lee, shockingly missed a short putt that would have extended the playoff to another hole.
The brutal finish left DeChambeau with mixed feelings when he hoisted his fourth LIV Golf individual trophy on Sunday at Sentosa Golf Club.
DeChambeau’s LIV Singapore win started with comeback charge
DeChambeau’s last LIV win came in May of last year, when he triumphed at LIV Golf Korea with a three-round score total of 19 under par. That ended an even longer LIV winless drought for the two-time U.S. Open champ, dating back to September 2023.
This week’s event seemed like it was Bryson’s to lose from the get-go. He led after the first and second rounds. But four bogeys on Day 3 gave DeChambeau a 72. With that he’d lost his lead and headed into Sunday’s final round one shot behind Joaquin Niemann and Lee Westwood.
DeChambeau came out firing on Sunday, holing out for eagle on the 4th hole and adding two more birdies before play was suspended due to inclement weather. Despite his hot start, which moved him to 12 under, DeChambeau found himself further off the lead at the halfway point, two shots behind Niemann.
But Niemann made three bogeys coming home, while DeChambeau drained two additional birdies, including one on the 18th hole, to pass him and reach 14 under.
One problem: Lee had birdied four of his last six holes, including the final two, to tie DeChambeau at 14 under. That forced a sudden death playoff.
And the playoff couldn’t have started worse for Bryson. He rinsed his tee shot at the par-5 18th, immediately putting his victory in doubt.
Lee, on the other hand, steadily set up a 10-foot birdie putt. Incredibly, DeChambeau was able to get up-and-down after losing his drive in the water, giving him a par despite the penalty.
If Lee holed his mid-range birdie, he’d win. A textbook two-putt would extend the playoff to another hole. Then disaster struck.
Lee’s first attempt ran by the hole by 2-3 feet. His comebacker dived toward the hole… then devastatingly lipped out.
The TV cameras shot to DeChambeau. He had just won his fourth LIV Golf title, but all he could do was put his hands behind his head and register a look of shock at what had just occurred.
Bryson’s ‘incredible relief’ after wild playoff ends in victory
After his round, DeChambeau revealed his mixed feelings over the win in light of the heartbreaking finish for his opponent Lee, who earned his spot on LIV through the LIV Promotions event, as did Anthony Kim.
“Absolutely hated it for Richard [T. Lee]. He’s been playing some unbelievable golf. He’s beat me in a few of the rounds I’ve played with him, and he’s a stellar player,” DeChambeau said Sunday afternoon. “I wanted to go another hole with him. As much as winning is great, I have a lot of respect for Richard and the way he golfs his ball out there.”
LIV’s biggest star then shoveled more praise on Lee, admitting that coming down the stretch he thought his victory was already secure. Lee’s late charge changed that in a big way.
“It was quite impressive; I was coming down the last three holes, like all right, I think I’m one ahead of everybody, and seeing Richard go and play the way he did finishing out, he’s a real superstar, and the league should be really proud to have him on as a wild card,” DeChambeau said of Lee.
Bryson did allow himself to soak in the positives from his victorious moment a little bit.
“It was huge for me, especially with it being wet conditions and thick blades and struggling with my wedges,” DeChambeau said. “But to get it done was quite memorable and — even hitting it in the water on the last hole for the playoff, G-Bo is like, ‘Bryson, just go make par, that’s all you can do.’ And we went and did that.”
When asked if he felt “relief” after securing the title, DeChambeau replied in the affirmative. He also acknowledged that his LIV Singapore victory represented his first win in a four-round tournament since his 2024 U.S. Open triumph at Pinehurst No. 2.
“Oh, incredible relief,” DeChambeau admitted. “I haven’t won in four rounds since the U.S. Open 2024. Being able to come through on a golf course like this that’s super brutal and demands precision on every single shot, especially with the conditions changing, I couldn’t be more happy for my team.”
The next stop for DeChambeau is LIV Golf South Africa, which begins next week. After that, the next tournament circled on Bryson’s schedule is the 2026 Masters at Augusta National.
