Paul Casey barely saw a fairway all week, but he walked away with the trophy and also with good friends anyway.

Crushers GC won the team title at LIV Golf South Africa on Sunday, March 22, 2026, at Steyn City. It was their ninth regular-season win, making them the most successful team in LIV Golf history.

But the 48-year-old's personal game was rough, literally. Four days of wayward driving, and he knew it.

"I was definitely a stranger to the fairways this week because I couldn't find them," he said. "Made good friends with the rough all week."

But here's the thing about Casey and South Africa. This trip wasn't just a tournament for him. His dad grew up in Cape Town, and his brother was born in Johannesburg back in the 1970s. Cousins came out to watch him play this week.

His parents were actually on holiday in Cape Town during the same stretch. Some of his Crushers teammates have joked for years that he should just switch over to the Southern Guards.

He's heard that one before.

What happened on the 18th green on Sunday, March 22, hit him somewhere deep. The crowd, the noise, and the emotion pouring out of all four Crushers, Casey said, reminded him of a Ryder Cup. Raw, loud, team against team. He ranked it above Adelaide. Then he caught himself and acknowledged that it probably wouldn't land well in Australia.

"Those scenes on 18 were just fantastic," he said. "That was like a Ryder Cup-type feeling—the passion out there, team against team."

For someone with such strong roots in South Africa, winning here meant much more than just a number on the leaderboard.

Paul Casey Has Spoken About Bryson DeChambeau’s Playoff 3-Wood

When it came down to that 3-wood from 295 yards in the playoff, Paul Casey just stood there watching and was amazed at how perfect that shot was.

His first thought was simple: he couldn’t hit that shot, and honestly, it is the truth. Not many golfers can hit it, in fact.

“I’m not sure there’s anybody else in this field who can hit that,” he said. “Maybe not even on the planet.”

Anirban Lahiri talked about how long they’ve been together since Boston, nearly five years now. Been through a lot as a group. Charles Howell III was watching DeChambeau over that eagle putt, too. No playing safe, no easing it close.

He went straight for it. Howell said it reminded him of the kind of players who do things that don’t always make sense but somehow still pull it off.

Crushers GC leave South Africa with nine team wins now, the most in the league. And for Casey, this one felt like more than just another result on paper.

Do you think LIV Golf South Africa 2026 was the best team golf event we’ve seen outside of the majors? Let us know what you think below.

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Shraabona Sengupta