LIV GOLF TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MICHIGAN

August 24, 2025

Jon Rahm

Tyrrell Hatton

Caleb Surratt

Tom McKibbin

The Cardinal at Saint John’s

Legion XIII

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome the winners of the LIV Golf Team Championship Michigan, Legion XIII, with a score of 20-under par, winning in a thrilling playoff against Crushers GC. Congratulations on an incredible week and season, guys.

Jon, I'll start with you. You've completed the double this year, winning both the individual and the team championship. Playing in the captains group today, going head to head against Bryson in regulation, and then teaming up with Tyrrell to win the playoff, can you just talk through what it means to win the trophy with your team?

JON RAHM: It means a lot. It's been a long year, and we've all been playing really, really well for the most part of the year and coming in as well.

To be the No. 1 seed is never easy. Tyrrell pulled us through by sheer determination on that first match against the Cleeks. We played good yesterday. Today the two -- the young squad over here, both of them, carried us in match play, and for the most part today, had the scores going and kept us in it until Tyrrell and I were able to wake up on the 17th hole.

Besides that, it's been really good. And then the playoff, well, it's just the icing on the cake. I did not want to think about going three in a row week-wise losing in a playoff, and I was just really positive all day, especially towards the end, that good things were going to happen. Tyrrell made that putt on the first hole, and then we got it done at the end.

Extremely proud of everyone up here and truly happy that we're the ones standing here.

THE MODERATOR: Tyrrell, two crucial birdies to finish your round, which actually tied with the Crushers at the time, then holing a clutch putt to extend the playoff before closing it out on the second playoff hole with your captain. Can you take us through those closing moments and what holing the winning putt in the playoff means to you?

TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, up to that point it had been a pretty frustrating day for me. Like I played really well, I just couldn't hole a putt. Then, yeah, when I made bogey on 16, that was not ideal.

So I just tried my best to have a good finish. It was nice to hole the one on 17. It was definitely the longest putt of the day. Then, yeah, pressure putts on 18, on the 18th and then on the first playoff hole. So it was good to see those go in and keep our hopes alive.

Then, yeah, it was a really nice wedge shot in on the second playoff hole, and it's always nice when you can just tap those in.

THE MODERATOR: Caleb, it's been a standout year for Legion XIII. You came in this week as the top seed, and you led from the front today, coming in with a 6-under par 64. It was neck and neck with the Crushers all day. With all four scores to count, were you aware of just how close it was out there going into the back nine?

CALEB SURRATT: Yeah, I was. At one point I looked up and I think we were five back with a few to go. I think that's part of what makes our team really special because we have four guys that, I think, trust each other. There's no other three guys I would have wanted to be five back with in that moment.

So I was really, really proud of the fight. It was really inspiring to see how that playoff came out and how great those wedge shots were in there. Yeah, it's a great feeling and a great team fight.

THE MODERATOR: Tom, great round for you as well. 5-under par 65 to close out your debut season with LIV Golf, one that includes five team victories, five champagne showers, capped by the team championship here in this week. Can you sum up what this experience and being part of this team has been like for you? How special is it to finish your rookie year on top of the podium this week?

TOM McKIBBIN: Yeah, it's been an incredible year. Getting to spend it with these three guys has been incredible. I've learned so much. Just being around them has been really good. The whole year's been special, and today was a really cool day to sort of go out there. You're out there on your own, but you're playing for three other guys. For us to come out on top first year is really cool.

Q. Jon, when you're out there and you see Bryson shooting 62 and you're trying to keep up, but are you also aware that the young guys were playing so well that at least you weren't having to match him stroke for stroke?

JON RAHM: I was aware. That's a bit of a shift on mentality today. Yes, you're worried about your own score, but it truly is a team effort. There's no other way to put it.

Every once in a while, I would try to find the scoreboard and look at the score for inspiration when things weren't going well, which for me around that 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, that stretch, I felt like I was playing well, just couldn't hole a putt either. I think me and Tyrrell might have had similar days. That short miss on 10 was painful, so just try to stay patient.

The thought I kept having is in three holes with four players playing, you have 12 scorable chances. So even when we had three holes left, I knew that a lot of things still could happen. It was very nice to just hole by hole see us getting a little bit closer and a little bit closer and a little bit closer.

They say never stop fighting till the end, and I was just very glad that I could match Bryson with those birdies at the end and Tyrrell with those birdies at the end as well to give ourselves a chance. It was an incredible round he played. He didn't miss one shot, and he had that driver on a rope. So he could have shot lower today. He definitely could have. He had two short misses that are uncharacteristic of him when he's playing this good.

Q. How do you process your season? You win the individual championship, obviously captain of the team champions. We talked about the tournaments themselves. I know it will probably take a while for you to maybe step back and process the season, but do you have any kind of initial thoughts?

JON RAHM: In a way, if there was ever a question mark or an asterisk for having won the whole season without winning, in my mind, with this it goes away. It's a lot of validation for all of us, in my mind, for the team, just how well we did all year, and to get it done, stressful, but we got it done, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Q. Tyrrell, just how much fun was that? I know sometimes when we see you play, it looks like you're very frustrated, but you seemed like you were really enjoying those last few holes obviously.

TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, probably 99 percent of the time I'm frustrated. Yeah, the playoff was good fun. Sure, I felt nervous, and I don't think -- as I've said before, I don't think that's a bad thing. It shows that you care. Sometimes in those moments it allows you to be, I guess, even more focused.

Yeah, I hit two really nice tee shots in the playoff, and then the wedges were great. Obviously very nice to hit that one to a couple of feet on the second playoff hole. Yeah, I mean, my wedges have been pretty good all week too, so I felt very comfortable over there. It was a nice pin. The kid inside of me wanted to pitch it long left and like rip it back.

I guess that's part of the fun of being like a kid at times. You just spend hours around the chipping green. Me and Jon have done it at various times at different LIV events where we're just hitting 30-yard, 40-yard shots and trying to see how much spin we can get. Probably have more fun doing that than other things.

Yeah, I guess, even if you're messing about, it's still practice, and it all adds up in the end.

Q. Kind of a similar question in terms of the season as a whole. Obviously you had the close call at the U.S. Open. Didn't get a tournament win, but you end the season as the team champions. How do you feel about the last few months?

TYRRELL HATTON: I would say individually I'm pretty disappointed with how I've performed on LIV this season. Probably Dallas was the one chance I had to maybe win. I ended up bogeying the last hole to miss the playoff by one, which is never a nice feeling.

So, yeah, on that side, certainly not anything to be proud of. But coming into this week, it's a new opportunity to see to try and play well, and you're not just playing for yourself, you're playing for your three teammates. It was tough at times. Obviously disappointing for me to lose yesterday, but luckily these guys had my back and they won their matches.

We've done very well as a team, and it feels great that we've ended up coming out on top this week.

Q. Question for Tom and Caleb. What's it like to be on this team? As young guys, you get to play alongside Jon and Tyrrell. You get to cheer their playoff exploits. What's it like? I assume a bunch of young golfers would love to be in your shoes.

CALEB SURRATT: It's incredible. I think we're both very thankful to be here. I believe that you become the best by being around the best. I couldn't think of two guys that I'd rather be playing partners with than Jon and Tyrrell. They're incredible role models, incredible players, very hard workers that -- they never act like they've arrived. It's always striving forward, getting better, and that inspires me, and I'm sure it does Tom.

TOM McKIBBIN: Yeah, very similar to what Caleb said. Very, very thankful to be a part of this team and to learn from two guys that are phenomenal players, even just watching the playoff there, seeing the shots that are coming in and how clutch those guys are in those sort of situations. I know for me this year I've learned a lot off both of them, and I definitely became a better player because of it.

Q. Tyrrell, can you take me through the putt on the first playoff hole? Did you think you had made it?

TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, I feel like I hit a good putt. It was not too dissimilar from the putt that I had on the actual 18th. It felt like a weird one just because of how I started it. I felt like, if I started it out of the hole, it would stay high, and I felt like I couldn't really give the hole away. It was a pretty great putt, so I felt like I hit a good putt. Thankfully lipped in on the low side.

I feel like I had my fair share of misses for the whole day. So it was nice to see some putts actually go in at the end.

Q. Caleb and Tom, just from your perspective, what was it like watching that playoff and it being totally out of your control?

CALEB SURRATT: It's a bit -- it's almost like a bit nerve-racking and relaxing honestly because there's like -- there's no two people in the world, like honestly, that I would want hitting those wedge shots. I don't think TV can justify how hard of a shot that is. It's downwind. It's short-sided. The ball's on a downslope.

I think Tom and myself can both say confidently that we're glad they were the ones hitting them, as well as Tom and I played today still.

TOM McKIBBIN: Yeah, I quite enjoyed watching.

(Laughter.)

I don't really know what else to say. I'm glad I wasn't hitting the shots and these two were, like Caleb said. Yeah, I love watching golf, and sort of just to get to stand there and see those shots come in was cool.

Q. Jon, new venue for you guys this year. What did you think of the experience here at Michigan, and how much would you look forward to coming back if that's the case?

JON RAHM: It was wonderful. Arguably the best weather we've had all year, besides the wind today. For a newly redone golf course, it was in incredible shape. Even with the amount of rain we got last night, it was still in very, very good shape. I actually thought everything in general is going to be a little bit more wet and swampy just because of how much rain came down. The greens were a little soft, but they still were rolling perfect.

Whoever's in charge of maintenance, they did an amazing job. It's a great venue, and I think it fits the format really well. It's great for match play because you're going to see a ton of birdies, you're going to see mistakes, you know things can happen, it's a volatile golf course. And on a day like today with a shootout, you have to expect something around 20-under like we did today. Three teams with four of the best players on each team, you're going to need to shoot low.

I think it's a recipe of a golf course that is going to make it very exciting no matter what. I think it proved it. I had a great week, and hopefully we come back.

Q. Another one for Jon. This team was basically created after you joined the league. This was your team. Are you feeling a little extra pride, almost like an owner, in addition to being a player and captain here? Are there any complicated -- not complicated, but any different feelings, I guess, compared to a usual victory?

JON RAHM: I don't know. I can't tell you what they're feeling, but I would say a little extra sense of pride. But I think a lot of the effort that I put into the team -- the color, the name, the logo -- doesn't really matter when it comes to winning, like what we're feeling right now.

It was really fun to do and fun to be a part of, like I love the pink hats and all. But I think I would trade whatever we're wearing and whatever name for winning in general.

But, yeah, I think a little sense of pride having been able pick who's on the team is special. I think Caleb touched on it. I wouldn't want to share this moment with anybody else.

Q. Caleb, looking from where you were in the start of 2024 and now a season, two seasons later you're shooting 6-under, which is the best score of anyone on that podium, to help your team win a championship, can you just reflect on how far you've come as a golfer?

CALEB SURRATT: Yeah, it's been a wild ride. I'm thankful to Jon trusting me enough to have me on his team last year, and I'm very proud of the player I've started to become. Today was -- I've had a few nice Sundays recently, so I was trying to have that same kind of vibe going into today.

I know that I wouldn't be the player I am today if I didn't make the decision to come out here and play with Jon and Tyrrell over the last few years. I'm very thankful for that and looking forward to many years to come.

Q. Tom, can you talk about how being in this setting has aided your development as a player?

TOM McKIBBIN: Yeah, I think getting to spend time with Jon and Tyrrell has definitely, I've definitely learned a lot from them. And then I think getting paired with some of the other guys and stuff throughout the tournaments, people that you've watched on TV or grew up watching, I'm getting to learn from them.

I think some of the golf courses as well were a little bit trickier than what I'd been used to, so sort of getting used to those and developing my game through that. So I think a lot of small things that add up to quite a big sort of difference.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations again and enjoy the celebration.