Joaquin Niemann of Chile has opened up a six-stroke lead heading into Sunday’s closing 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 wanting so as to add his to his titles at Adelaide, Singapore, Mexico Metropolis and Virginia.
“I had a good time. I made plenty of putts,” Niemann stated. “I used to be laughing at it generally as a result of I am not used to seeing so lots of these stepping into, and it is type of cool to see that.
“Aside from that, I hit some good pictures. The whole lot felt just about below management, off the tee, irons, placing. Yeah, simply fairly blissful the way in which I have been going by means of the final two days.”
Niemann had 5 birdies on the entrance 9, together with three in a row at Nos. 1-3.
“I feel it is an excellent course for my eyes,” stated Niemann, who was T2 right here final 12 months. “I really feel like there’s plenty of blind pictures. There’s plenty of left-to-right pictures, left-to-right, right-to-left. You have to transfer it round. You have to use several types of pictures off the tee, as nicely. I really feel fairly assured on this course. Hopefully I can enhance one place from final 12 months, and I will be fairly blissful.”
Niemann’s Torque GC can also be in entrance for the workforce championship at 24-under, three pictures forward of Legion XIII because it seeks its first workforce title since 2023.
“We all know we are able to do it. We have been shut for a couple of probabilities,” Niemann stated. “… I feel it will be an thrilling day for all of us tomorrow and hopefully see low scores from the 4 of us.”
Watson is aware of it is going to take a sizzling spherical and maybe poor climate to maintain Niemann off the highest of the rostrum.
“He is enjoying so good, you do not anticipate him to do something, like come backwards,” Watson stated. “Wind path — I have not regarded on the climate. That may change a golf course or how we play it, pin setups.
“However we will 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.
–Area Degree Media
