Liv Andalucia’s Victory of Talor Gooch had extra meaning

Talor Gooch gathered Golf Trophies early and often during the stages of the existence of the Brecaway League. He won three times during the 2023 season, setting up trophies in Adelaide, Singapore and Spain.

But Gooch did not win in 2024, and this drought stretched deep in 2025. He reached Liv Andalucia in Valderrama this week with just two ends of Top -0 per season. His Subpar game meant that he was unable to try to take advantage of the US Liv Road to Open and the open championship.

With just a few events left in the Liv calendar, the 2025 season was in danger of being a lost year for Gooch. But the 33-year-old played steady golf on the 1st day of Liv Andalucia and made seven birds in the second round to take a four-shot lead to Dustin Johnson on day 3.

In a course that gives himself big moves of the last round, goach without Jon Rahm, Tom McKibbin and others to run on Sunday in Valderrama.

When Rahm Zogu in the 17th hole, his sixth bird of a day without fraud, the great champion twice connected with Gooch on 7 under. But gooch Zogu hole par-5 17 after rahm to recover a bullet with a stroke. Rahm put it into the tree at 18 and had to clash for par, which allowed GOOCH to make a principle at 18 to secure his first Liv victory since his 2023 victory in Valderrama.

Rahm’s beating with a stroke in Spain made the second Gooch victory in Valderrama means a little more.

“It made it a little more special for Rahmbo to be the one I had to beat today,” Gooch said after his victory. “I’ve beat Sergio (Garcia) in a play off here. I’ve made a bird in the last to defeat Bryson (Dechambeau), beat Rahmbo out of one. To beat this player caliber, it’s just an assertion where my game and player type I can get.

GOOCH will not play in the open championship next week and he has not played in a major since the PGA 2024 championship. He wants his hard work to be paid faster, so he could benefit from the new leads of Liv with USA and R&A.

But this is in the past. With more roads opening for Liv Golf in Diploma and League Review of its request for official woRLD Golf Sorting PointsGooch feels like his game is recovering in a timely manner.

“I wish I had played this way to start the year so that I could have received one of those points in the diplomas in those specific points we had,” Gooch said. “Listen, playing good golf at all times is good. I want to play good golf all the time. But yes, with the momentum of the league and the moment we are doing with what we are doing, everything from the rich HSBC and these big, big companies come and seeing our vision and getting on board and supporting and parting with us is a good time to do.

“I’m just happy again to be in the winner’s circle and happy I did here in Valderrama.”

As for Rahm, he will reach the next week’s open championship at Royal Portrush still saw a season win. But the big champion twice feels sure that everything could meet next week in northern Ireland.

“You really feel in control all week,” Rahm said. “Honestly, I probably hit him better than I had in the last half year. I started seeing some shots that remembered me some other good weeks, and as soon as I did it going today and felt comfortable in the greens, it was a pleasure to put myself in that situation.

“I think I hope this is a precursor to what the rest of the season will come. It started to happen last year, and I hope it will happen again because this week was really good.”