Joaquin Niemann wins Mayakoba playoff; Jon Rahm gets team win

Joaquin Niemann of Chile sank a birdie putt on the fourth playoff hole to defeat Sergio Garcia of Spain and win LIV Golf Mayakoba in the dark on Sunday in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

After Niemann missed a birdie putt to win outright on the final hole of regulation, he and Garcia replayed the par-4 18th hole at El Camaleon Golf Course and made par three times over. With light fading fast, Niemann asked Garcia, "Play one more?" and the 2017 Masters champion agreed.

Garcia's second shot on the fourth go-round proceeded to land near a spectator sitting in thick rough by a sand bunker. Niemann's approach found the green, and after Garcia's pitch out of the rough skidded past the hole, Niemann buried the winning putt.

Niemann, who began the season opener by shooting a 12-under 59, posted a final round of 1-under 70. Garcia made consecutive birdies at Nos. 14 and 15 to tie Niemann at 12 under and made pars the rest of the way to card a 5-under 66.

Meanwhile, newcomer Jon Rahm and his team, Legion XIII, locked up the team victory in their LIV Golf debut. Fellow LIV debutant Tyrrell Hatton posted a final-round 7-under 64, Caleb Surratt shot a 4-under 67 and Zimbabwe's Kieran Vincent had a 2-under 69.

Unfortunately for Rahm, the Spanish star's bogey-bogey finish knocked him out of the running for a playoff, and his 70 was the lowest Sunday score on his team. But Legion XIII still finished 24 under for the week, four shots ahead of Bryson DeChambeau's Crushers GC.

Rahm said he jokingly said on the range it would be a nice day for Hatton to shoot a 64, which the Englishman then proceeded to fulfill.

"This team was just assembled Monday, I believe, Sunday or Monday," Rahm said on LIV's broadcast. "We come in and made an impact and everything was meant for that. We wanted to make a mark, make an impact, and I think everybody knows we're a force to be reckoned with."

Rahm tied with South Africa's Dean Burmester for third at 10 under. Hatton (7 under) was tied for eighth, Surratt (5 under) tied for 13th and Vincent (3 over) tied for 38th.

—Field Level Media