Stinger GC’s Branden Grace is 2 again of LIV Golf’s reigning Individual Champion at the LIV Golf occasion at the Cedar Ridge Country Club.
Dustin Johnson, LIV Golf’s reigning Individual Champion, began the 2023 season slower than anticipated after enduring a minor again harm early within the 12 months.
The 4Aces GC captain is now rounding into type in entrance of file crowds at LIV Golf Tulsa.
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Grace simply two again of DJ
Johnson posted his second consecutive 7-under 63 within the second spherical to take a two-shot lead at 14 beneath over Stinger GC’s Branden Grace going into Sunday’s ultimate day at Cedar Ridge Country Club. The 4Aces additionally moved forward of the Stingers on the group leaderboard by one shot.
Saturday’s sellout crowd was the most important single-day attendance for a LIV Golf occasion within the U.S. Another sturdy crowd is predicted Sunday, which ought to make LIV Golf Tulsa the most-attended occasion of the eight performed within the U.S. since LIV Golf’s debut in 2022.
They’ve seen a return to type for Johnson, because the back-to-back 63s are his finest scores of the 12 months.
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“I saw a lot of good things in Australia and Singapore,” the two-time main winner stated of the earlier two LIV Golf tournaments. “I was playing well. Just didn’t get a lot out of my rounds. … I knew it was coming. I was seeing a lot of good things.”
Johnson can be searching for his second particular person event title on Sunday, having received final 12 months in Boston with a dramatic eagle putt in a playoff. He’ll be within the ultimate group with Grace for the primary time since final 12 months’s event in Portland, the primary LIV occasion performed within the U.S. The South African shot a 7-under 65 at Pumpkin Ridge to rally from two strokes all the way down to win and can want the same efficiency at Cedar Ridge.
Grace led for almost all of the second spherical earlier than struggling his first two bogeys of the week at holes 15 and 16. Meanwhile, Johnson birdied each holes, a four-shot swing that gave Johnson the lead.
“I’m definitely going to have to go deep tomorrow,” stated Grace, at 12 beneath after following his record-setting 61 on Friday with a 3-under 67. “I’m not saying it’s going to take a 9-under or something like that, but if I can just play well, give myself some chances and then take it from there.”
The third member of the final group is RangeGoats GC captain Bubba Watson, who’s at 10 beneath after capturing a 64 on Saturday, his finest spherical in his eight worldwide begins in 2023 since coming back from knee surgical procedure. Watson was 1 over early in his spherical earlier than discovering his rhythm and making seven birdies in his final 13 holes.
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“I started off struggling today, but then I fought hard coming back,” stated Watson, who joined LIV Golf final season as a non-playing captain. “I want to feel those nerves tomorrow. I want to get in contention again.”
Other group captains are lurking. Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau moved into solo fourth after his finest spherical of the 12 months, a 63 left him at 9 beneath. He’ll be in a gaggle with Ripper GC Captain Cameron Smith, who shot 68 and is at 8 beneath. HyFlyers GC member Brendan Steele is tied with Smith after capturing 69.
“Yesterday was a struggle but excited with where my game is trending and heading,” DeChambeau stated. “Pumped about that.”
The group competitors can be equally compelling, with 5 groups inside eight photographs of the 4Aces’ lead at 26 beneath. DeChambeau’s Crushers, the winners in Mayakoba, rallied for a third-place end in Singapore after capturing 20 beneath within the ultimate spherical. They’ll begin the day simply 4 photographs off the tempo and can want one other huge day to catch the 4Aces, the present factors leaders.
“Four shots back,” DeChambeau stated. “That was the first thing I looked at, compared to my score. That tells you where my head is at.”
TEAM COUNTING SCORES
Here are the standings and counting scores for Saturday’s second spherical of the group competitors at LIV Golf Tulsa. The three finest scores from every group depend in each spherical for his or her complete group rating. The group with the bottom cumulative rating after three rounds wins the group title.
1. 4ACES GC (-26): Dustin Johnson 63, Peter Uihlein 65, Patrick Reed 67 (Rd. 2 rating: -15)
2. STINGER GC (-25): Branden Grace 67, Charl Schwartzel 67, Dean Burmester 68 (Rd. 2 rating: -8)
3. CRUSHERS GC (-22): Bryson DeChambeau 63, Charles Howell III 64, Anirban Lahiri 67 (Rd. 2 rating: -16)
4. RANGEGOATS GC (-20): Bubba Watson 64, Thomas Pieters 67, Harold Varner III 69 (Rd. 2 rating: -10)
5. SMASH GC (-19): Brooks Koepka 65, Jason Kokrak 67, Matthew Wolff 68 (Rd. 2 rating: -10)
6. RIPPER GC (-18): Jediah Morgan 66, Cameron Smith 68, Marc Leishman 68 (Rd. 2 rating: -8)
7. TORQUE GC (-16): Mito Pereira 65, David Puig 68, Joaquin Niemann 70 (Rd. 2 rating: -8)
8. FIREBALLS GC (-15): Eugenio Chacarra 65, Abraham Ancer 66, Carlos Ortiz 69 (Rd. 2 rating: -10)
9. CLEEKS GC (-13): Richard Bland 67, Bernd Wiesberger 67, Martin Kaymer 71 (Rd. 2 rating: -5)
10. MAJESTICKS GC (-12): Ian Poulter 68, Henrik Stenson 68, Lee Westwood 69 (Rd. 2 rating: -5)
T11. IRON HEADS GC (-11): Danny Lee 64, Kevin Na 66, Scott Vincent 68 (Rd. 2 rating: -12)
T11. HYFLYERS GC (-11): Cameron Tringale 66, Brendan Steele 69, James Piot 69 (Rd. 2 rating: -6)
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