Joaquin Niemann of Chile has opened up a six-stroke lead heading into Sunday’s ultimate spherical at LIV Golf United Kingdom.
The Torque GC captain moved to 14-under par with an 8-under 65 on Saturday on the JCB Golf and Nation Membership in Rocester, England. He racked up 9 birdies with a lone bogey on the par-4 fifteenth gap.
Bubba Watson is in solo second at 8-under after a second-round 68. England’s Paul Casey (68), Caleb Surratt (68) and Poland’s Adrian Meronk (70) are tied for third at 7-under.
Niemann, already a four-time winner on the LIV Golf tour this season, is trying so as to add his to his titles at Adelaide, Singapore, Mexico Metropolis and Virginia.
“I had a good time. I made quite a lot of putts,” Niemann stated. “I used to be laughing at it generally as a result of I am not used to seeing so a lot of these stepping into, and it is type of cool to see that.
“Apart from that, I hit some good photographs. The whole lot felt just about underneath management, off the tee, irons, placing. Yeah, simply fairly completely happy the best way I have been going by the final two days.”
Niemann had 5 birdies on the entrance 9, together with three in a row at Nos. 1-3.
“I believe it is a fantastic course for my eyes,” stated Niemann, who was T2 right here final yr. “I really feel like there’s quite a lot of blind photographs. There’s quite a lot of left-to-right photographs, left-to-right, right-to-left. You have to transfer it round. You have to use several types of photographs off the tee, as properly. I really feel fairly assured on this course. Hopefully I can enhance one place from final yr, and I will be fairly completely happy.”
Niemann’s Torque GC can be in entrance for the group championship at 24-under, three photographs forward of Legion XIII because it seeks its first group title since 2023.
“We all know we are able to do it. We have been shut for just a few possibilities,” Niemann stated. “… I believe it is going to be an thrilling day for all of us tomorrow and hopefully see low scores from the 4 of us.”
Watson is aware of it should take a scorching spherical and maybe poor climate to maintain Niemann off the highest of the rostrum.
“He is enjoying so good, you do not count on him to do something, like come backwards,” Watson stated. “Wind course — I have never regarded on the climate. That may change a golf course or how we play it, pin setups.
“However we’ll give it our all after which hopefully that is ok, have a spherical like he is having (Saturday). He shoots like even or 1-under, no matter it’s — however we’re simply going to go on the market and do the identical factor and hopefully that is ok or have a very excessive end.”
5 golfers are tied for sixth at 6-under, together with Niemann’s Torque GC teammate Carlos Ortiz of Mexico.
–Discipline Stage Media