JOAQUIN NIEMANN WINS IN VIRGINIA FOR SIXTH CAREER LIV TITLE
Joaquin Niemann birdied Nos. 14-17 to cap off a bogey-free, 8-under-par 63 for his final round and hung on to win LIV Golf Virginia on Sunday in Gainesville, Va.
The 26-year-old from Chile went 15-under 198 for the week at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club and beat Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell (66) and Anirban Lahiri of India (68) by a single stroke. Lahiri had a birdie attempt at his final hole to force a playoff with Niemann but could not convert.
Niemann’s sixth LIV win — all coming in a 17-month span — broke a tie with Brooks Koepka for the most victories in the Saudi-backed league’s brief history.
He had to endure a rain delay and fend off a crowded field of players to finish the job.
“I felt like there was a lot going on during the rain delay,” Niemann said. “Tried to keep my mind on the right thoughts, and having Bryson (DeChambeau) coming off pretty clutch at the end, Phil (Mickelson) as well, Anirban…
“It could have been for anybody, and I felt like I was all day just behind, especially since the beginning of the week, and I feel like the only word that I was telling myself from last night was just have faith. There’s nothing else I can do, have a good attitude, and just wait.”
The win propels him into next week’s U.S. Open, where he is in the field on an exemption reserved for one of the top players in the league.
“I feel like I’m still pretty far away of winning (a major),” Niemann said. “I’m just happy to be playing at the U.S. Open. It’s going to be a great course, pretty tough conditions. I’m just looking forward for that challenge and have a fun week.”
After a two-putt birdie at the par-5 14th hole, Niemann sank a 9-footer at the 15th and a 10-footer at the par-3 16th. He reached 15 under par when he stuck his second shot at No. 17 to about a foot from the pin to set up a tap-in birdie.
DeChambeau and Mickelson each shot 6-under 65s to get into a tie for fourth at 13 under with Belgium’s Thomas Pieters (63) and Bubba Watson (67).
Mickelson made an improbable birdie at No. 17 on a flop shot from the greenside rough. He stood in a bunker, well below his ball, and sent it high in the air and on a perfect line to gently roll into the cup.
In the team standings, the DeChambeau-captained Crushers GC went 15 under for the day to finish 36 under par and secure the team title by two strokes over 4Aces GC. It is Crushers’ second straight team victory following the last event in South Korea.
“It was funny, going into Korea we were all looking at each other going, ‘What are we doing? Let’s kick it into gear,’ and we have,” DeChambeau said. “Definitely a force to be reckoned with, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”
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JENNIFER KUPCHO WINS SHOPRITE LPGA CLASSIC
Jennifer Kupcho sank a birdie putt at the final hole to end a three-year drought and win the ShopRite LPGA Classic on Sunday in Galloway, N.J.
Kupcho shot a 5-under-par 66 at the Bay Course at Seaview to finish 15-under 198. She balanced two bogeys with seven birdies, allowing her to finish a stroke ahead of South Korea’s Ilhee Lee.
Kupcho earned her fourth career win and first of the season — which was also her first top-10 finish of 2025.
“It just feels amazing,” Kupcho said. “I think I struggled a lot early in the year and had a lot of tough weeks, a lot of hard conversations, and it feels good. Feels really good for sure.”
The 28-year-old last won an LPGA event in 2022, when she took home all three of her career wins (Chevron Championship, Meijer LPGA Classic, Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational).
Addressing her slow start in 2025, including missing the cut at last week’s U.S. Women’s Open, Kupcho stressed her mindset as being key in the victory.
“I think in my mind I had set on 14-under, so I was really just trying to get to that number,” Kupcho said. “Obviously did a little better. Yeah, just feels really nice. Just kind of stayed in my zone the whole time.”
Kupcho rolled in birdies on three of her first five holes, taking command of the final round. She added birdies on Nos. 9, 14 and 16.
Lee (68), who came into the day with the lead, trailed Kupcho by one shot going into the final hole. She birdied the par-5 18th before Kupcho matched her with a 10-footer.
Lee shook off a slow start — three bogeys over seven holes — to rally into position. Her six birdies came on Nos. 9, 10, 11, 14, 17 and 18.
“I think it was (the) first time for me to start as a leader, so I was kind of nervous,” Lee said. “… I finished great, I think.”
Sei Young Kim of South Korea was the third-place finisher with a 6-under 65, putting her at 12 under, three strokes behind Kupcho.
Japan’s Ayaka Furue (70) was fourth at 11 under. Six golfers tied for fifth at 10 under: South Korea’s Jin Hee Im (68), Spain’s Azahara Munoz (68), Germany’s Aline Krauter (68), Japan’s Mao Saigo (71) and Miyu Yamashita (69) and Taiwan’s Wei-Ling Hsu (69)
World No. 1 Nelly Korda opened with a 71 and was tied for 65th, but her second straight strong round (68) lifted her into a tie for 15th at 8 under.
