Brendan Steele wins LIV Golf Adelaide tournament from fast-finishing Louis Oosthuizen

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Three-time PGA Tour winner Brendan Steele held off a fast finishing Louis Oosthuizen to win the LIV Golf Adelaide tournament at The Grange Golf Club by one stoke.

The 41-year-old Steele shot a final round 68 Sunday for a 54-hole total of 18-under 198 to earn his first victory since he won his second Safeway Open in 2017 on the PGA Tour.

Steele had a streak of five consecutive birdies early in the round, before some putting jitters appeared in his back nine to open the door for a fast finishing pack of challenges including Oosthuizen, and former previous Masters winners Charl Schwartzel (64) and Jon Rahm (64).

“Yeah, I was telling myself that I knew there was going to be hard moments today regardless of the result and that I just needed to get back in there and start playing with freedom again,” Steele said moments after winning.

“And, and I was able to hit some good shots after that and write the show.”

South Africa's Oosthuizen shot 65 to finish second at 17-under 199, and had drawn within one stroke of Steele late in Sunday's final round, only for the American to make some clutch pars in the final holes to clinch victory.

Oosthuizen's compatriot Schwartzel and Rahm were among a group of five players at 16-under 200, with Joaquin Niemann (66), Andy Ogletree (65) and Dean Burgmester (67) in a tie for third.

Former world No.1 Rahm had an eagle and six birdies in his 8-under 64 but had left too much ground to catch up on Steele on the final day to capture his first title since joining the LlV tour in December.

Last year’s winner Talor Gooch shot 70 and finshed in a tie for 26th at 10-under.

Some of the LIV Golf's biggest names were also off the pace this week, including Brooks Koepka (nine-under), Dustin Johnson (nine-under), Phil Mickelson (seven-under) and Sergio Garcia (six under).

Australian team Ripper GC, led by local favorite Cameron Smith, with Marc Leishman, Matt Jones and Lucas Herbert, won the teams format on the second playoff hole against the South African-based team, Stingers GC, to the delight of another large and boisterous crowd at The Grange course on Sunday.

The LIV tour remains in the Asia region next week for the May 3-5 Singapore event at the Sentosa Golf Club. Then there’s a month-long break before resuming in Houston from June 7-9.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Brendan Steele of HyFlyers GC hits his shot from the first tee during the final round of LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club on Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via AP)

Brendan Steele of HyFlyers GC hits his shot from the third tee during the final round of LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club on Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via AP)

Individual Champion Brendan Steele of HyFlyers GC kisses the trophy after the final round of LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club on Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via AP)

Individual Champion Brendan Steele of HyFlyers GC poses with the trophy after the final round of LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club on Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via AP)

Brendan Steele of HyFlyers GC hits his shot during the second round of LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club Saturday, April 27, 2024 in Adelaide, Australia.(John Ferrey/LIV Golf via AP)

Brendan Steele of HyFlyers GC waves to the crowd during the second round of LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club Saturday, April 27, 2024 in Adelaide, Australia.(John Ferrey/LIV Golf via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Sen Bob Menendez, a Democrat, arrived Monday for the start of his trial on charges that he accepted bribes of gold and cash to use his influence to deliver favors that would help three New Jersey businessmen.

Menendez, 70, was dropped off in front of a Manhattan federal courthouse at 8:15 a.m., forty minutes before former President Donald Trump's motorcade passed by on its way across the street to state court, where he is on trial for allegedly falsifying business records to hide hush money payments to a porn actor before the 2016 election.

Menendez, arriving with his lawyers, did not speak to reporters who were kept behind barricades as he entered a security pavilion where everyone entering the courthouse is scanned.

Menendez is on trial with two of the businessmen who allegedly paid him bribes — real estate developer Fred Daibes and Wael Hana. All three have pleaded not guilty. A third businessman has pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against the other defendants. The senator's wife is also charged, but her trial is delayed until at least July.

Opening statements were possible, but unlikely, before Tuesday for a trial that has already sent the senator's political stature tumbling. After charges were announced in September, he was forced out of his powerful post as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The three-term senator has announced he will not be seeking reelection on the Democratic ticket this fall, although he has not ruled out running as an independent.

It will be the second corruption trial for Menendez in the last decade. The previous prosecution on unrelated charges ended with a deadlocked jury in 2017.

In the new case, prosecutors say the senator's efforts on behalf of the businessmen led him to take actions benefitting the governments of Egypt and Qatar. Menendez has vigorously denied doing anything unusual in his dealings with foreign officials.

Besides charges including bribery, extortion, fraud and obstruction of justice, Menendez also is charged with acting as a foreign agent of Egypt.

Among evidence his lawyers will have to explain are gold bars worth over $100,000 and more than $486,000 in cash found in a raid two years ago on his New Jersey home, including money stuffed in the pockets of clothing in closets.

The Democrat's wife, Nadine Menendez, was also charged in the case, but her trial has been postponed for health reasons. She is still expected to be a major figure. Prosecutors say Nadine Menendez often served as a conduit between the men paying the bribes and Menendez.

The senator's lawyers in court papers have said they plan to explain that Menendez had no knowledge of some of what occurred because she kept him in the dark.

According to an indictment, Daibes delivered gold bars and cash to Menendez and his wife to get the senator's help with a multimillion-dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund, prompting Menendez to act in ways favorable to Qatar's government.

The indictment also said Menendez did things benefitting Egyptian officials in exchange for bribes from Hana as the businessman secured a valuable deal with the Egyptian government to certify that imported meat met Islamic dietary requirements.

In pleading guilty several weeks ago, businessman Jose Uribe admitted buying Menendez's wife a Mercedes-Benz to get the senator's help to influence criminal investigations involving his business associates.

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., arrives for the first day of his trial at the Manhattan federal court, Monday, May 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

FILE - Jose Uribe leaves federal court, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, in New York. For the second time in a decade, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., faces a corruption trial Monday, May 13, 2024, with his political career and freedom on the line. Uribe was accused of buying a Mercedes-Benz for Nadine Menendez after her previous car was destroyed when she struck and killed a man crossing the street. Prosecutors said Menendez twice tried to help Uribe by trying to influence criminal investigations involving his business associates. Uribe pleaded guilty and is expected to testify. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

FILE - Fred Daibes, one of three businessmen named as co-defendants with Sen. Bob Menendez, arrives at federal court, Sept. 27, 2023, in New York. For the second time in a decade, Menendez faces a corruption trial Monday, May 13, 2024, with his political career and freedom on the line. Daibes is accused of delivering gold bars and cash to Menendez and his wife to get the senator to use his clout to help him secure a multimillion-dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund, including by taking actions favorable to Qatar's government. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

FILE - Wael Hana, right, leaves the federal courthouse in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023. For the second time in a decade, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., faces a corruption trial Monday, May 13, 2024, with his political career and freedom on the line. Hana is accused of paying off Menendez for helping him get a lucrative deal with the Egyptian government to certify that imported meat met Islamic dietary requirements. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., arrives for the first day of his trial at the Manhattan federal court, Monday, Monday, May 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., arrives for the first day of his trial at Manhattan federal court, Monday, Monday, May 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

FILE - Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, left, and his wife Nadine Menendez arrive at the federal courthouse in New York, Sept. 27, 2023. For the second time in a decade, Menendez is finding his career and life on the line in a federal criminal case. The New Jersey Democrat goes to trial on Monday, May 13, 2024, in Manhattan federal court. Menendez and his wife are accused of accepting bribes from three wealthy businessmen in his home state and performing a variety of favors in return. (AP Photo/Jeenah Moon, File)

FILE - Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., arrives at Manhattan federal court, Monday, March 11, 2024, in New York. Jury selection is scheduled to start Monday, May 13, 2024, in the trial of Menendez, a Democrat charged with accepting bribes of gold and cash to use his influence to aid three New Jersey businessmen. (AP Photo/Jeenah Moon, File)

FILE - Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., talks at the Senate Finance hearing on Capitol Hill Thursday, March 21, 2024. in Washington. Jury selection is scheduled to start Monday, May 13, 2024, in the trial of Menendez, a Democrat charged with accepting bribes of gold and cash to use his influence to aid three New Jersey businessmen. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)