The latest LIV Golf event in Chicago was full of excitement, with surprising changes on the leaderboard that kept fans hooked until the very end. While some top players struggled under pressure, one golfer stayed strong and claimed a well-deserved win on Sunday. With the season almost over, the fight for top spots in the individual standings is getting intense — and players like Bryson DeChambeau could soon see their positions under threat.

Bryson DeChambeau has had a mixed year on LIV, with a win in Korea and five top-10 finishes. But his performances in the last three events on LIV have been disappointing, and he’s managed to score only 9.14 points since LIV Golf Andalucia. Despite that, he’s placed third in the individual standings with 140 points. But with Dean Burmester winning in Chicago on Sunday, DeChambeau’s position seems to be in jeopardy as the South African launched himself to the 4th position in individual standings and just 23 points behind Bryson DeChambeau.

“Yeah, I had a great start to the year and then kind of had a dip in the middle,” Burmester said in a press conference post his victory. And he indeed started the year with a bang as he earned 51.6 points in just the first three events. He had two top-5 finishes, including a solo second finish in Hong Kong. But in the next seven events, Dean Burmester hardly scored 10 points. But a tied 5th finish in the UK and a win on Sunday, Burmester now has 117 points, and is right behind Bryson DeChambeau, looking to chase him next week at Indianapolis. 

“For me it’s awesome to have a chance to crack that top 3 going into next week. It’s a goal of mine to try and improve every year, and I had a good season last year, and I’ve improved on it this year now after this. I’m really happy and I’m excited to see if I can chase him down, and I know the big guns will be bringing their top stuff,” he continued. Despite a shaky final round of level par, which led him into a playoff with Jon Rahm and Josele Ballester, Dean Burmester was able to win on Sunday because of his strong start. And with just one more event left until the Team Championship, Burmester is prepared for a tough but exciting challenge.

While Dean Burmester is pleased with his current form and is confident that it will continue till the end of the season, he’s also aware of the standings’ reality. “I don’t know what’s happened right at the top, but I know I’ve got no chance at that, so I’m going to try and finish as high up as I can,” Burmester reflected. Though the top spot may be out of reach, with Joaquin Niemann leading with 208 points, his focus now shifts to climbing as high as possible and making a final statement before the season wraps up. And while Burmester sets his sights on a strong finish, Bryson DeChambeau finds himself under mounting pressure as the gap between contenders narrows.

Bryson DeChambeau’s season is on the brink

Despite being one of the league’s most recognizable figures, Bryson DeChambeau has managed just a single victory this year — a win in Korea — and has struggled to find consistency since. Since that win, DeChambeau has had only two top ten finishes, including a tied 4th finish in Virginia. And his most recent outing in Chicago saw him finish in a tie for 13th after shooting a final round 3-over, bringing his total to 3-under across three days. It was a performance that fell short of expectations and did little to solidify his standing among the top contenders.

Currently sitting third in the individual points standings, DeChambeau is far from secure. With just one event remaining, his lead is under serious threat, especially from in-form competitors like Dean Burmester and Talor Gooch, who is placed 5th with 112 points. And it’s not just Bryson DeChambeau’s finishes in recent events, but also his scoring average that has been raising eyebrows. In the last four events, including Chicago, DeChameabu’s scoring average is just around 71.09, which is substandard for a player of his calibre. If Bryson DeChambeau does not find his footing and turn things around next week at Indianapolis, his position that once seemed solidified will quickly slip away, and he could find himself outside of the top five. For someone of his stature, the pressure is mounting, and the margin for error is shrinking fast.