Pursuing his first individual win with LIV Golf, Anirban Lahiri of India played a bogey-free second round at 7-under 64 on Saturday and holds a two-shot lead at LIV Golf Virginia on Saturday in Gainesville, Va.
A runner-up four times with LIV Golf, Lahiri sank seven birdies and made a 39-foot par putt on No. 16, then finished strong with a par on No. 18 after landing in the rough. On the 18th, he had to get up and down from a distance of more than 100 yards.
“Yeah, those felt like birdies as well,” Lahiri said of his impressive finish to the day at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. “I think the first 15 holes was about as solid as I could have played. I missed a few putts and I still made quite a lot of birdies.
“Then 16, I was trying to hit like an in-between 9-iron and I tried to compress it a little bit too much, and everyone else saw what happened. It was nice to make that putt.”
Veterans Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell — who are also chasing their first individual LIV Golf win — are at 9-under par entering Sunday’s final round, just two shots behind the leader.
“It’s always good to be close to the lead, have a chance on the last day,” Watson said. “Looking forward to it. Looking forward to the challenge of this golf course. … You hit your driver good, you hit your irons in the right spots, you have a chance to play this golf course.”
RangeGoats GC captain Watson birdied Nos. 17 and 18, then closed his round with pars on Nos. 1 and 2 en route to a 6-under 65. Kaymer, who shared the first-round lead with Crushers GC captain Bryson DeChambeau, shot a 4-under 67 to keep himself firmly in the running.
Meanwhile, McDowell notched three straight birdies on Nos. 15-17 to put himself in contention with a 5-under 66. He’ll play the final round with Lahiri and Watson.
“I’m excited to be up there (on the leaderboard),” McDowell said. “I’m excited to give myself probably my first opportunity on LIV. I’ve underachieved greatly so far in my career out here. Certainly expect more of myself.”
Joaquin Niemann, DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, the top three in the individual standings, are tied for fifth at 7 under, four shots off the top spot.
On the team front, Lahiri and DeChambeau have the Crushers at 21 under par, one up on McDowell’s Smash GC squad and well ahead of the other foursomes.
–Field Level Media
