Talor Gooch claims LIV Golf Adelaide title

GRANGE: Talor Gooch, a former member of 4Aces GC who joined Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats GC in the offseason, completed a wire-to-wire victory Sunday at LIV Golf Adelaide.

Meanwhile, his old team captured its first trophy of the 2023 LIV Golf League.

Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces, which had podium finishes in the first three events of the season, produced a sizzling final round in a tight team battle at the Grange Golf Club. With Patrick Reed shooting a 7-under 65, new member Peter Uihlein contributing a 66 and Johnson adding a 67 (Pat Perez shot the same score), the Aces finished with a LIV Golf record 47 under to win by a stroke over the RangeGoats. The all-South African Stinger GC took third.

Last year, the all-American 4Aces won four regular-season events and the Miami Team Championship, all on home soil. Their performance in Adelaide was their most dominant, with all four members finishing in the top 10 in points.

“Obviously, it was a great week,” said Johnson, whose team increased its lead atop the season-long points standings to 44 points. “All four guys played well. To get our first win outside the US was nice.”

Gooch, meanwhile, had to endure some tight moments despite entering the day with a 10-shot lead thanks to consecutive 10-under 62s. A four-hole stretch in which he suffered his first two bogeys of the week, followed by a double bogey at the par-5 10th, whittled down his deficit. At one point, he led by only two shots.

But after his double bogey, he responded with birdies at the 11th and 13th holes to restore some breathing room, then parred in the rest of the way for a 1-over 73, leaving him at 19 under for the tournament. That ties the all-time LIV Golf best score for three rounds.

“Golf is just really