Tied four at the top, but Houston’s Reed hopes to pop the champagne

Anirban Lahiri mixed five birdies with two dropped shots to reach a 36-hole total of 6-under-par 138 and a share of 13th place, four shots behind a four-way tie for the lead at LIV Golf Houston on Saturday.

With event co-leader and Crushers GC member on 10-under 134 and captain Bryson DeChambeau adding a 139, the 2023 champions were tied for third place in the team event on 21-under through two days with the Cleeks and the 4Aces, four shots. behind Fireballs GC (26 under) and second-place Torque GC (22 under).

In the individual standings, Casey shared first place with Fireballs’ David Puig, Torque’s Carlos Ortiz and Cleeks GC’s Adrian Meronk, while Houston resident Patrick Reed, who has never won in his hometown, held sole fifth place. place with 9 under. 135 and everything to play.
In fact, as many as 12 players were three shots behind the leaders, promising a Texas shootout on Sunday at The Golf Club of Houston, LIV Golf said.

“Having all this support and being able to stay home, it means a lot,” Reed said. “I hope we go out there and…give them a show tomorrow and hopefully hoist that trophy.”
Reed was one of LIV Golf’s top final round players over the first two seasons, but struggled on Sundays this year. “There were times when I went back so far and tried to get a decent finish that I had to push, and when you go out there and press, that doesn’t usually happen in golf,” said the Texan. “You have to let that come to you, and I feel like that’s what I’m trying to do this week.”

But first he’ll have to get past the group of four ahead of him, at least two of whom — Casey with the 2009 Houston Open and Ortiz in 2020 — are past winners at Space City.

In sixth place, Torque GC captain Joaquin Niemann and Matthew Wolff of the RangeGoats were at 8-under 136 with five others tied at 7-under 137. Of the 12, only Niemann has ever played in an LIV golf tournament – ​​twice , in fact, earlier this year in Mayakoba and Jeddah.

In the team standings, Puig and Abraham Ancer propelled the Fireballs to first place ahead of Neimann’s Torque, with the Crushers, 4Aces and Cleeks all jostling for a chance at the top honors on Sunday.
Seventh event on the program, LIV Golf Houston was hit by the withdrawal of two captains from the competition on the second day. Legion XIII’s Jon Rahm and Stinger GC’s Louis Oosthuizen opted out, with the latter withdrawing even before the start due to a lower back injury. He was replaced by reserve player Wade Ormsby, who shot a 1-over 73 that counted for the team. Oosthuizen shot an opening round 3-under 69.

Rahm withdrew after playing six holes Saturday because of an infection in his left foot. He will be replaced by reserve player Ben Campbell for Sunday’s final round. Rahm also shot a 69 in the first round. Both are expected to return for the upcoming LIV golf tournament in Nashville June 21-23 and Rahm remains scheduled to play the U.S. Open next week.

Casey, who shot a second straight 67 on Saturday, isn’t sure how much of an impact his success 15 years ago will have on the final result. He is one of five players in the field to have won at the Golf Club of Houston.
“I know what it takes, but it doesn’t necessarily make things easier,” stressed the smooth-moving Englishman. “It has always been a difficult test for golf. … This golf course has some teeth, and just because I won doesn’t mean anything.

Ortiz, who birdied four straight holes Saturday en route to a 68, doesn’t plan to benefit from his experience but admitted to having a certain comfort level at the venue. “I love the golf course and the people,” he said. “I guess maybe it’s the confidence. I don’t know, but I played really well and I think it’s just a reflection now.

Meronk was one of three co-leaders in the first round with captain Martin Kaymer and young Legion XIII player Caleb Surratt. While Kaymer and Surrat lost pace, Meronk overcame two bogeys in his first five holes to shoot a 69 and stay in contention.

“I played pretty solid,” said Meronk, who joined LIV Golf just before the start of this season. “It could have been much lower. I missed a few putts down the stretch. But I’m still quite satisfied with my round and my position before Sunday.

Regarding his team’s chances of winning the event on Sunday, the Polish great added: “I think you can see the progress since the beginning of the year. I hope we can lift the trophy soon;
“When, I can’t tell you. It depends on many factors. But the chemistry and the level of play progress from week to week. We can just hope to play well tomorrow. It’s going to be exciting. Every score counts, so anything can happen tomorrow.

Puig, meanwhile, started this week by winning first place in 36-hole qualifying at the US Open in California on Monday and carried his momentum into Houston, opening with a 68, then shooting a 66 in which he finished with five birdies in his last seven holes. .

“It definitely gave me a little confidence,” Puig said, “and I’m glad it’s paying off.”