Dan Burmester was inspired to clinch a second LIV Golf victory after his wife ran an ultra marathon before he beat defending champion Jon Rahm and Josele Ballester in a playoff

Dean Burmester was inspired to win after his wife ran an ultra marathon(Image: Getty Images)

LIV Golf star Dan Burmester overcame a rough start to get into a three-way playoff with Jon Rahm and Josele Ballester to win the Chicago event after being inspired by his wife running an ultra marathon.

The 36-year-old recorded his career-second individual LIV Golf win in Chicago, following his triumph in Miami in April last year. The South African, who had a viral outburst Down Under last year, beat 2024 LIV Golf champion Rahm and Ballester after both missed birdie chances from the 12-foot range on the 18th in the playoff.

Burmester won $4 million for his second LIV Golf victory. He also enjoyed success with his team, Stinger, which beat Torque for the team title.

The win for Burmester was “emotional,” with the player admitting that he had been dealing with things in his personal life before putting in for glory.

His wife also ran an ultra marathon in West Virginia, which was a source of inspiration. “This has been emotional. Since kind of before Virginia I’ve been going through a bit of a rough time, personal stuff, and I’ve just been grinding and trying to get better,” he said.

“I think about my kids and my wife back home, and I’m just trying to do the best I can for them. My wife finished an ultra marathon the week of West Virginia.

“That Sunday I was on my phone watching her, and that truly gave me an inspiration to kind of — if she can do that, she can run 90 whatever kilometers in a day, nine and a half hours or whatever it was, then I can do anything.

Dean Burmester admitted that the win was ’emotional’ after going through things in his personal life(Image: Getty)

“Yeah, for me, that was where it’s at. Then after three bogeys in a row to start, I was like, fudge, I don’t know where I’m going. The head was nowhere.

“But I just kept at it, and Jason, my caddie, was just phenomenal. He was just like, we never give up. We’re not going to give up. We’ve been through too much c— to give up.

“That’s what we did. Then I had a chance in regulation. Obviously hit a good putt, lagged it, just to protect my lead, and then to hit that out of the rough and get the right bounce and then roll it in — I watched Jon’s go left. I knew I had the right line, and to roll it in in front of everybody that’s here is amazing.”

Dean Burmester says his wife ran 90km in one day(Image: Getty)

Rahm’s defeat in Chicago was the Spaniard’s latest disappointment. He is likely to lose his LIV crown this year. Joaquin Niemann is currently leading the standings and is on course to be the 2025 champion.

Rahm has failed to convert his strong performances into wins this year. Chicago was the closest the 30-year-old has come to victory.

Rahm finished runner-up twice in Riyadh and Andalucia, but Chicago was the former PGA Tour star’s first playoff defeat of 2025.