Sebastián Muñoz Wins LIV Golf Indianapolis in a Playoff as Jon Rahm's 60 Steals the Season Title

Jon Rahm shot 60, won the season, and still lost the tournament. That is how good Sebastián Muñoz was in Indianapolis.

Muñoz birdied the last two holes of regulation to finish at 22-under 191, then rolled in a birdie putt of about 6 feet on the first playoff hole to beat Rahm and win LIV Golf Indianapolis on Sunday at The Club at Chatham Hills. The Torque GC player closed with a 6-under 65 for his first individual LIV Golf title, the $4 million first prize, and a week that opened with a 59. Rahm posted a career-best 11-under 60 that was enough to snatch the season-long Individual Championship from Joaquin Niemann. Dustin Johnson finished alone in third at 20 under, and Torque GC won the team event at 64 under, the lowest team total in league history.

Rahm Sets the Target

Sunday started an hour late because of weather, and Rahm wasted no time once play began. The defending Individual Champion came into the day one shot behind Niemann and needing to finish ahead of his rival. He did it with the best round of his career, a 60 that included just one dropped shot. "Had one bad swing all day on 14 which cost me a bogey but gave myself the best chance," Rahm said.

His 22-under total set the number for everyone else. Niemann, playing alongside him, shot a respectable 5-under 66 and tied for fourth at 17 under, but respectable was not enough. Rahm finished the season on 226.16 points to Niemann's 223.68, a margin of less than three points after a year in which Niemann won five times and Rahm did not win at all. "It's kind of hard to swallow," Niemann said.

Muñoz Answers

Muñoz needed two birdies in his last two holes to catch Rahm, and he got them the hard way. At the par-5 17th he had to scramble through a difficult up-and-down to make his four, then he birdied the 18th to force overtime at 191.

The playoff went back to the par-4 18th. Rahm's approach hit the flagstick and bounced away, leaving a longer birdie try that he missed. Muñoz holed his from inside 6 feet. It was his first win of any kind in six years, according to LIV Golf, and by his own account it was the first time he had ever beaten Rahm. "First time I've ever beaten him, so really proud of that and happy that I got to go home with the trophy," Muñoz said.

The finish also lifted the Colombian to fourth in the final season standings. That is quite a turn for a player who admitted his hopes for the year were modest at the start.

A Bittersweet Title

Rahm has now finished first in the season standings in both of his LIV seasons, but the playoff loss stung. It was his second straight, after he fell in a three-way playoff to Dean Burmester at LIV Golf Chicago a week earlier. "It's a great moment, but it just doesn't feel great to finish the year losing two playoffs," Rahm said.

Johnson's third place was his best finish of the season after a closing 67, and it moved him from 28th to 14th in the points race, the biggest jump of anyone this week. Carlos Ortiz, Branden Grace and David Puig joined Niemann in the tie for fourth at 17 under, and Bubba Watson, Adrian Meronk and Thomas Pieters shared eighth at 16 under.

Torque Rewrites the Team Record

Torque GC turned the individual drama into a family celebration. The team added 25 under on Sunday to finish at 64 under, smashing the previous LIV record of 53 under and winning by 10 over Legion XIII at 54 under. Fireballs GC took third, its third straight third-place finish. It is Torque's first team win since LIV Golf Greenbrier in 2023, a drought of 28 events, and every member of the roster had a hand in it: Muñoz's 59, Niemann's steady week, Ortiz's tie for fourth and Mito Pereira's share of the scoring.

The bittersweet part for Torque is Pereira's season. He was one of six players who finished in the Drop Zone and were relegated.

The Drop Zone Drama

The most nervy finish of the day came well away from the lead. Ian Poulter, whom LIV Golf's analysts had given roughly a 10 percent chance of escaping, birdied four of his last five holes for a 67 and tied for 17th. That was enough to claim the 48th and final Open Zone spot by 0.38 points over his own Majesticks GC co-captain, Henrik Stenson, who missed a 20-foot birdie putt on the last hole and was relegated.

Next Stop, Michigan

The regular season is over, and Indianapolis delivered more than its share, from a 59 with a double bogey to a 60 that won a title and a playoff that did not go Rahm's way. More than 60,000 fans came through over three days, the largest crowd for a LIV event in the United States. The Team Championship in Michigan is next, and Torque GC heads there with a record in its pocket.

Revisit the Round 1 recap and the Round 2 recap. Full final-round details are in the LIV Golf final-round report (opens in a new tab).

Sources: LIV Golf (final-round report, Last Look), AP, Golf News Net. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: Scott Taetsch/LIV Golf.