Jon Rahm shot a flawless 7-under-par 64 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead at LIV Golf Chicago, held at Bolingbrook Golf Club in Illinois. Rahm’s impressive round featured six birdies, including a crucial birdie on the final hole, bringing his total to 13-under-par for the tournament.
Starting his round on the fourth hole, Rahm executed a strategic game plan, hitting fairways and capitalizing on scoring opportunities. “I felt like I did everything I needed to do right, committed to the shots that I needed to, and then executed really, really well,” Rahm said. His accuracy off the tee was crucial, missing only one fairway, which was barely in the rough.
Spanish compatriot Sergio Garcia is in second place, one shot behind Rahm, after carding a 65 on Saturday. Garcia, who had five birdies during his round, expressed confidence in the challenging conditions: “I’ve always enjoyed those conditions. I feel like when it’s playing tough and hopefully I can let my ball-striking do most of the work, it usually helps me.”
Brooks Koepka, who led after the first round with a 62, fell to third place following a 73 on Saturday. Poland’s Adrian Meronk, Great Britain’s Ian Poulter, and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann are tied for fourth at 10-under, three shots off the lead. Meronk’s 65 on Saturday kept him in contention, while Poulter and Niemann shot 68 each.
Rahm and Niemann are currently battling for the 2024 LIV Golf title, with Rahm entering the week with a slight edge in the season standings. “It would be nice to have both of us in the third round together, but being in the lead right now by myself, the goal is to win the championship,” Rahm stated.
In the team competition, the Crushers, led by Bryson DeChambeau and Paul Casey, are tied with the Cleeks at 10-under through two rounds. The Fireballs, spearheaded by Garcia, are four shots back at 6-under. The Cleeks’ resurgence was fueled by strong performances from Kalle Samooja and Richard Bland, while the Crushers maintained their position thanks to solid play from DeChambeau and Casey.
As the tournament heads into the final round, Rahm will look to secure his second LIV win and fend off his competitors, including Garcia, who remains a strong contender in the challenging conditions.
Source: Field Level Media
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