An individual win for Marc Leishman, a commanding win by the team and a brand new baby boy for captain Cameron Smith made it a week to remember for the Ripper GC boys in Miami.

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 team 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&3Round 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&2Round 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