With the notorious ‘Blue Monster’ at Trump National Doral giving the LIV Golf Miami field all it could handle, it was the Aussie boys who navigated the wind and water best, Leishman leading Ripper GC to an eight-shot win in the teams event.

The result wasn’t so clear cut in the individual event.

Leishman made a crucial up-and-down on the final hole as he closed out his round of 4-under 68 with eight consecutive pars in what was the only bogey-free round of the tournament.

He was first in the clubhouse at 6-under and then had to watch on as Sergio Garcia went looking for the birdie he needed to force a playoff.

The Spaniard would ultimately make bogey to finish third, Charl Schwartzel finishing second one stroke behind Leishman.

Without a win since he and Smith teamed up to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2021 and coming off a tie for 51st in Singapore, the 41-year-old admitted that he’d started to wonder whether he would ever win again.

“Of course you doubt yourself, especially after a week like I had in Singapore. I played terribly,” said Leishman.

“I’ve played well in a lot of LIV events.  I’ve had a chances to win, haven’t won. You wonder if you’re going to win again.

“I’ve been so happy. I’ve been the happiest person out here. I’ve loved every minute of it, but I’ve probably just missed — everyone loves winning.

“I doubted myself, but that just made it all just so much sweeter today, to be able to win and hold up another trophy and then the team winning, as well, is awesome.”

It was a truly team effort on Sunday as Ripper GC ended the week at 4-over par and eight shots clear of Crushers GC.

In addition to Leishman’s 68, Smith climbed into a tie for ninth with a 2-under 70, Matt Jones had 1-under 71 and Lucas Herbert 2-over 74.

Admitting that it was hard to drag himself away from son Remy to lead the team in Miami, Smith reflected on a truly life-changing week.

“It’s so cool. I miss him so much, actually,” Smith said of fatherhood.

“It was hard to come away this week. I mean, I’ve had a few times where it’s been hard to get away from home, but it was a different level this week. I can’t wait to see him tonight.

“He’s the winning formula for the team, obviously. One from one, Remy is.

“People express – I’ve got two great dads next to me (Leishman and Matt Jones) – how cool it is to be a father, but you really can’t put it into words.

“It’s been so awesome.”

There were Aussie top-10s elsewhere this past week.

Stephanie Kyriacou made it to the quarter-finals of the T-Mobile Match Play on the LPGA Tour, Kelsey Bennett was tied for eighth at the Joburg Ladies Open on the Ladies European Tour and David Bransdon and Greg Chalmers were tied seventh at the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational on PGA TOUR Champions.

Photo: Michele Eve Sandberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Results

PGA TOUR
Valero Texas Open
TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course), San Antonio, Texas
1          Brian Harman               66-66-72-75—279       $US1.71m
MC       Ryan Fox (NZ)               76-73—149
MC       Aaron Baddeley           75-76—151

LPGA Tour
T-Mobile Match Play
Shadow Creek Golf Course, North Las Vegas, Nevada
Quarter-finals
Lauren Coughlin def. Stephanie Kyriacou 1 up
Round of 16
Stephanie Kyriacou def. A Lim Kim 2&1
Round Robin-Day 1
Grace Kim def. Amy Yang 2&1
Stephanie Kyriacou def. Nasa Hataoka 4&3
Minjee Lee def. Jasmine Suwannapura 1 up
Hira Naveed def. Lydia Ko (NZ) 6&4
Gabriela Ruffels def. Carlota Ciganda 4&3

Round Robin-Day 2
A Lim Kim def. Grace Kim 2 up
Stephanie Kyriacou def. Ayaka Furue 4&2
Lydia Ko (NZ) def. Gabriela Ruffels 6&5
Carlota Ciganda def. Hira Naveed 2&1
Madelene Sagstrom def. Minjee Lee 3&2

Round Robin-Day 3
Jenny Shin def. Grace Kim 2 up
Stephanie Kyriacou halved Auston Kim
Gabriela Ruffels halved Hira Naveed
Carlota Ciganda def. Lydia Ko (NZ) 2 up
Patty Tavatanakit def. Minjee Lee 1 up

LIV Golf
LIV Golf Miami
Trump National Doral, Florida
1          Marc Leishman            71-71-68—210 $US4m
T9        Cameron Smith            73-74-70—217 $409,167
T9        Danny Lee (NZ)            75-71-71—217 $409,167
T18      Lucas Herbert               77-69-74—220 $250,000
T21      Matt Jones                   74-76-71—221 $220,000
T53      Ben Campbell (NZ)       79-76-82—237 $50,000

Ladies European Tour
Joburg Ladies Open
Modderfontein Golf Club, Johannesburg
1          Mimi Rhodes               65-69-71—205 €45,000
T8        Kelsey Bennett             71-72-69—212 €7,350
T33      Momoka Kobori (NZ)   72-73-73—218 €2,415
T39      Maddison Hinson-Tolchard      70-75-74—219 €1,665
MC       Amelia Garvey (NZ)      76-73—149

Korn Ferry Tour
Club Car Championship
The Landings Golf & Athletic Club (Deer Creek), Savannah, Georgia
1          Jeremy Gandon            67-70-65-69—271
Won on first hole of sudden-death playoff
T6        Harry Hillier (NZ)          71-68-69-66—274
MC       Rhein Gibson               74-71—145

PGA TOUR Champions
James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational
The Old Course at Broken Sound, Boca Raton, Florida
1          Ángel Cabrera              68-66-71—205 $US330,000
T7        David Bransdon           68-72-71—211 $64,240
T7        Greg Chalmers             69-70-72—211 $64,240
T12      Michael Wright            70-71-71—212 $44,733
T32      Cameron Percy             74-71-73—218 $14,520
T41      Stuart Appleby             73-74-73—220 $9,460
T41      Brendan Jones             73-72-75—220 $9,460
T56      Steve Allan                   74-71-79—224 $4,620
74        John Senden                80-77-75—232 $1,452

PGA TOUR Americas
70th Brazil Open
Rio Olympic Golf Course, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1          Maxwell Moldovan      63-67-68-68—266       $US40,500
MC       Charlie Hillier (NZ)        69-73—142
WD      Grant Booth                 70