American shows nerves of Steele to claim LIV crown

Brendan Steele says wise words from a veteran helped him win the LIV Golf tournament in Adelaide. (Michael Errey/AAP PHOTOS)

Some soothing words of wisdom from Phil Mickelson have been instrumental in fellow American Brendan Steele capturing LIV Golf's Adelaide title.

Steele won by one shot from South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen, finishing 18 under after firing a four-under 68 in Sunday's final round at the Grange Golf Club.

The 41-year-old Californian slept on a one-shot lead and says six-time major winner Mickelson was vital in calming his pre-round nerves.

"He was like 'how are you feeling, what are you thinking'," Steele said of his HyFlyers GC teammate.

"I said 'well, if I can play freely like I did the last couple days, I feel like I'll have a good chance'.

"He's like ... 'let's reframe it, let's make it "when" I play freely ... you will play freely, this is what you need to do'.

"Just for him to have that belief in me is really great, he is the reason that I'm here and the reason that I'm improving.

"To be honest, I'm 41 years old and I'm getting better and it's mostly because of him."

Steele shot a four-under 68 on Sunday and held off a charge from Oosthuizen (17 under), who carded a seven-under 65.

Louis Oosthuizen
Louis Oosthuizen made a spirited charge during the final round of LIV Golf Adelaide.

Former world No.1 Jon Rahm (16 under) also threatened with an eagle and six birdies in a superb 64 but fell short.

Australia's Matt Jones (14 under) topped the standings for the locals, with Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert all 13 under.

The Australian quartet claimed the teams title for their Ripper GC.

Individually, Smith started Sunday as the best-placed Australian at 11 under, three shots shy of overnight leader Steele.

But the Queenslander bogeyed the third hole, a 222-metre par-3, and watched a series of putts shave the hole in his two-under 70.

Compatriot Jones started the tournament with a six-under 66 and then four-under 68.

And the 44-year-old got hot in a seven-hole stretch that reaped his four birdies for the day.

Leishman carded a fine seven-under 65, while Herbert made a stunning comeback after a one-over 73 on the opening day.

Herbert shot a seven-under 65 on consecutive days to finish with a flourish.

Some notable big names were off the pace, including Brooks Koepka (nine under), Bryson DeChambeau (10 under), Dustin Johnson (nine under), Mickelson (seven under) and Sergio Garcia (six under).

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store