"It's what dreams are made of" - Talor Gooch talks about his third LIV Golf win in an intense play on final green
Talor Gooch had a dream Sunday during LIV Golf's event held at the Real Club Valderrama. He was in the top 3 going into the final round of the event, alongside two major champion winners Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.
Despite facing formidable opponents, Gooch showcased his skills, ending the day with consecutive birdies. His exceptional performance allowed him to prevail over DeChambeau and secure a victory at the renowned Valderrama course. This achievement marks Gooch's third triumph of the 2023 season, following consecutive wins in Australia and Singapore.
Speaking about how much this win meant to him, Gooch said that it was a dream to play against DeChambeau and Koepka.
"You know the first couple of wins were different from this one. To have a chance to beat two major champions on a historical golf course. The last green, the last putt, I mean this is what dreams are made of. It was special and they played great today. We pushed each other all day."
Talor Gooch shot a four-under 67 to finish -12 on Sunday after four rounds of play. He beat DeChambeau by one shot and Koepka by three shots. Sebastian Munoz finished fourth, while Patrick Reed, Jason Kokrak, and David Puig finished joint fifth.
Talor Gooch hopes his win shows that LIV Golfers deserve a place on the Ryder Cup teams
From the team competition perspective, Joaquin Niemann’s Torque GC took a first-place finish with five shots over Bubba Watson's RangeGoats GC. It was DeChambeau's Crushers GC that came in third.
Gooch said,
“If apples were to apples, the guy leading the FedEx Cup [on the PGA Tour] and the guy leading the LIV standings ... I think my play has shown that it’s at least worth a discussion. The better I play, the more that is just going to be a discussion hopefully. I’ve got to go win, and I’ve got to go prove that I’m worthy of having a discussion about.”
In winning first place, Talor Gooch walked away with a cash prize of $4 million. Gooch's win has also prompted him to comment on the team selections for the Ryder Cup. The golfer is hopeful that the wins will leverage and show that LIV Golf players can also be a part of the US team.