Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has invested approximately $2bn (£1.65bn) in LIV Golf-16 C Howell (US); -12 P Uihlein (US); -10 B Grace (SA); -7 P Casey ( Eng); -6 B Steele (US), C Smith (Aus); -5 P Perez (US) S Munoz (Col), C Ortiz (Mex), M Wolff (US); Full leaderboardexternal-linkCharles Howell III claimed his first LIV Golf title at the season-opening event with a stunning eight-under-par 63 in the final round in Mexico. The American won $4m (£3.33m), plus a quarter of the $1m prize for winning the team event with Crushers GC. Howell, 43, finished on 16 under, four shots clear of runner-up Peter Uihlein with Sunday’s bogey-free final round.”I had a lot of experience here,” said Howell, who was playing the Mayakoba course for the 14th time last week.”I think having played it in the wind for so many years helped a little bit.”Following last year’s inaugural series, LIV Golf’s second season features 14 events worth a combined $405m (£335m). Howell, who won approximately $42m (£ 35m) in 609 events on the PGA Tour after turning professional in 2000, took charge with six birds on the front nine. Uihlein, who was joint leader after the second of the three rounds, was unable to catch Howell despite a late rally, with four birds over the final six holes.”He won it on the front,” Uihlein said. “He did a heck of a job. There wasn’t any pressure on him and he did exactly what he needed to do. He’s a worthy champion.”Talor Gooch, the other second-round joint leader, struggled on Sunday and dropped to 14th. South African Branden Grace finished third at 10 under, six strokes behind Howell, as England’s Paul Casey finished fourth on seven under with Casey plays Howell in the Crushers GC team, which also includes former US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and India’s Anirban Lahiri. They won the team event on 26 under, nine shots clear of last year’s overall winning team 4Aces GC, which features Uihlein, Pat majorez and champions Patrick Reed and Dustin Johnson. The se cond LIV Golf event of the 2023 season takes place from 17-20 March at The Gallery Golf Club in Marana, Arizona.
