Dean Burmester and Stinger GC Triumph in Dramatic Playoff at LIV Golf Chicago

Bolingbrook Golf Club, Chicago, Illinois – August 10, 2025

In a thrilling finish at Bolingbrook Golf Club, Dean Burmester and his Stinger GC teammates emerged victorious at LIV Golf Chicago, capturing both the individual and team titles in dual high-stakes playoffs. Burmester’s resilience and clutch performance in the individual playoff against Jon Rahm and Josele Ballester, combined with Stinger’s collective brilliance against Torque GC, delivered a double victory that will resonate as one of the season’s defining moments.

Dean Burmester: From Early Struggles to Playoff Heroics

Dean Burmester’s path to his second individual LIV Golf title was anything but straightforward. After a disastrous start—3-over through his first three holes—Burmester faced a mental and competitive crossroads. “I’m not going to lie, I tend to get down on myself,” he admitted in the post-round press conference. Yet, the Zimbabwean dug deep, drawing on personal challenges off the course for motivation. “I thought, I’ve got a lot more to fight for than just the golf tournament,” he said.

A crucial up-and-down on the 4th and a birdie on the 5th sparked a turnaround, though Burmester lamented leaving several putts short throughout the day. “I had loads of chances that I didn’t make,” he noted. Heading into the 18th in regulation, he faced pressure from Rahm and Ballester, both of whom birdied to force a playoff. Burmester lagged his birdie putt, completed the par, setting the stage for a dramatic return to the 18th.

In the playoff, Burmester’s tee shot found the rough, but what seemed like a disadvantage turned into a stroke of fortune. “I knew I didn’t have to worry about spin too much,” he explained, noting the softened greens after light rain. His approach from the rough trundled to six and a half feet, and after a tense read—“right to left and it went right to left and then went right and lipped in”—Burmester’s birdie putt dropped, securing the individual title. “The moment after the emotion of trying to win a golf tournament, there’s nothing sweeter than that,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.

The win propelled Burmester to fourth in the individual standings, just 23 points behind Bryson DeChambeau (in third) with one event remaining. “I’m really happy and I’m excited to see if I can chase him down,” he said, eyeing a top-three finish in the season-long race. Reflecting on a season marked by a strong start, a mid-season dip, and now this triumph, Burmester’s perseverance shone through. “The stuff that I’ve had to go through and pull through is a lot more difficult than a lot of golf tournaments,” he shared, hinting at personal challenges that added depth to his victory.

Stinger GC: A Team Triumph Long in the Making

Stinger GC’s team victory— their first since Tulsa in 2023, 31 events prior—was a testament to their camaraderie and clutch play. Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, Charl Schwartzel, and Burmester leaned on their tight-knit bond, forged in part by sharing a house during the week. “We had a hell of a week here,” Grace said. “This is the type of golf that I know that the four of us can play.”

In the team playoff, Grace and Schwartzel delivered under pressure, both birdieing the 18th to clinch the title. “You can’t ever relax in those moments,” Grace said, recounting the intensity of knowing their opponents were likely to make a putt. “It was just great to get up there, seeing Burmy getting over the line in the individual and giving us that extra bit of motivation.” Schwartzel echoed the sentiment, noting how Burmester’s win “freed me and Branden up from a happiness point of view for the team.” Their tee shots and approaches on the playoff hole were textbook, setting up the birdies that sealed the victory.

Oosthuizen, the team captain, expressed pride in both Burmester’s individual heroics and the team’s collective effort. “I thought there was going to be that extra pressure on Dean, obviously, with Jon just right behind him,” he said. Watching Grace and Schwartzel step up in the playoff was “very relieving,” especially after Oosthuizen’s own struggles earlier in the week. The team’s success was amplified by the buzz surrounding LIV Golf’s upcoming event in South Africa, with Oosthuizen noting that 31,000 tickets have already been sold. “We’re definitely feeding a little bit off that, knowing that we’re going to play in front of our people,” he added.

A Brotherhood Forged in Victory

The Stinger GC house was a hub of camaraderie, with the four players—joined by Oosthuizen’s daughter Yana—bonding over braais, rugby World Cup videos, and Afrikaans music. “It’s just nice to have the four of us together,” Grace said, while Schwartzel humorously admitted to being pampered: “I actually didn’t do much this week. These guys looked after me.” Oosthuizen jokingly took credit for cleaning duties, but the lighthearted banter underscored the team’s unity, a key factor in their success.

Burmester’s playoff win also carried a cultural twist, as he outdueled two Spaniards—Rahm and Ballester—prompting a quip about them needing to learn Afrikaans. “That kid Ballester has got some serious game,” Burmester said, praising the young Spaniard’s fearless shot on the 17th and clutch play on the 18th. Beating Rahm, a player who had previously bested him in Mexico and Dubai, made the victory even sweeter.

A Defining Moment

For Burmester and Stinger GC, LIV Golf Chicago 2025 was a triumph of grit, teamwork, and clutch performance. Burmester’s ability to rebound from a 3-over start to win in a playoff showcased his mental fortitude, while Stinger’s collective effort in the team playoff highlighted their depth and chemistry. As they head to Indianapolis for the season’s final event, Burmester’s pursuit of a top-three individual finish and Stinger’s momentum as a team promise more fireworks. For now, though, the sweet taste of victory in Chicago—both individual and team—will linger as a career-defining moment for Burmester and his Stinger GC brothers.

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