[Photo: Tasos Katopodis]
Lucas Herbert secured a US Open berth from a wire-to-wire victory at LIV Golf Virginia that also ensured the Victorian owns career victories on every major tour in golf.
RELATED: Lucas Herbert secures Open Championship start
LIV, which recently had Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund confirm it would not fund the league after 2026, staged its first event in the US for the season at Trump National in Washington DC.
Herbert battled the flu all week and did not see the front nine at the golf course before the event started on Thursday. Beware the injured golfer. He was superb during opening rounds of 64-63 before a third-round 68 and a closing 69 to finish at 24-under, four shots ahead of Sergio Garcia in second. Bryson DeChambeau was third at 19-under.
The 30-year-old from Bendigo now owns career titles across LIV, the PGA Tour (2021 Bermuda Championship), DP World Tour (2020 Dubai Desert Classic, 2021 Irish Open and 2023 ISPS Handa Championship in Japan) and Asian Tour (2025 International Series Japan).
He joined the league in 2024, and his maiden LIV victory wasn’t without drama.
On the final day, he was four-over on the par 3s including a double-bogey that nearly changed everything. Herbert missed the green at the par-3 ninth hole and his pitch shot rolled back off the green, and he missed the ensuing bogey putt. Playing partner Garcia birdied the hole and within a 10-minute span, Herbert’s five-shot lead had contracted to two. Garcia then birdied the 10th to reduce the deficit to one.
Herbert remained composed and birdied the 11th and 12th holes, before two bogeys and two birdies in a four-hole stretch. He even survived a 45-minute weather delay late in the round to ice his dominant win.
“I didn’t doubt myself; I missed a few putts here and there and made it a contest late,” Herbert said. “But after the rain delay, the way I played those eight shots [a birdie at the par-5 17th and par at the par-4 18th], I’m so proud of that. I can’t wait to celebrate with everyone tonight.”
🗣️: Lucas Herbert's immediate reaction to winning the LIV Golf Virginia title.
FOLTZ: "Quite a popular win there, Lucas Herbert. No practice round, no expectations. What did you learn about yourself and your game this week?"
HERBERT: "Probably that I can perform pretty damn… pic.twitter.com/yZkKFaEFKF
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) May 10, 2026
Asked what he learned about himself, Herbert said after his $US4 million individual victory, “Probably that I can perform pretty damn well when things aren’t perfect.
“I was pretty sick all week, and I woke up this morning probably feeling worse than I did the past few days. I had Sergio coming at me for 36 holes really hard, and he pushed me the whole way, made me earn that one.”
With the USGA granting LIV’s top points earner (not already exempt) through Virginia a spot in the US Open field, Herbert punched his ticket to Shinnecock Hills, where he made his major debut in 2018. Herbert, who was T-15 at the 150th Open at St Andrews in 2022, has worked overtime for major exemptions lately. He qualified for the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush last year and secured a start at this July’s Open Championship via the New Zealand Open in March.
“Yeah, there was so many things that came with winning today,” Herbert said. “I just wanted to focus on what I was doing and then spend this moment now figuring out what comes with it.
“That’s a nice added bonus. My first major ever was at Shinnecock. Nice to go back and see what I’ve learned since then. Can’t wait to get there and try to play like I did this week.”
Herbert credited his longtime caddie, popular Englishman Nick Pugh, for guiding him through illness. Ironically, it’s not the first time Herbert has leaned on Pugh when coming in hot to a tournament. When Herbert won a DP World Tour event in Japan in 2023, a travel delay in New York meant Herbert didn’t arrive until late that Wednesday and he didn’t see the course before the first round. Pugh had rigorously mapped the PGM Ishioka Golf Club.
RELATED: Lucas Herbert and caddie Nick Pugh have crafted one of golf’s best partnerships
Today in Virginia, Pugh also calmed Herbert after a rattling double-bogey at the ninth.
“We just had such a laugh out there,” Herbert said. “We said walking to the first tee, we’re going to have fun regardless. That was the thing, we walked off the back of the ninth green having fun.
“He’s amazing. There’s not a good enough word I can speak about him. He’s been with me so long now, every win but one, every win but two actually. He deserves it as much as I do.”
