GAINESVILLE, Va. — Anirban Lahiri has celebrated seven staff titles since becoming a member of LIV Golf as a member of Bryson DeChambeau‘s Crushers GC through the inaugural 2022 season. Now he’s on the verge of having fun with two journeys to the highest of the rostrum Sunday at LIV Golf Virginia.
Lahiri put himself in place for his first particular person LIV title with a bogey-free 7-under 64 in Saturday’s second spherical at Robert Trent Jones Golf Membership. At 11 below by way of 36 holes, he leads a trio of main winners — RangeGoats GC Captain Bubba Watson, Cleeks Golf Membership Captain Martin Kaymer and Smash GC’s Graeme McDowell — by two pictures.
Tied for fifth at 7 below are LIV Golf’s high three gamers in factors this season — Torque GC captain Joaquin Niemann, Crushers GC captain DeChambeau and Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm — together with HyFlyers GC captain Phil Mickelson.
With Lahiri main the best way, the Crushers moved atop the second-round staff leaderboard at 21 below, one stroke forward of Smash GC. No different staff is inside seven pictures of the lead because the Crushers search to win for the second consecutive time this season.
Because of the potential of inclement climate, the shotgun begin time for Sunday’s ultimate spherical has been moved as much as 8:05 a.m. ET. It guarantees to be a wild shootout amongst a bevy of veteran stars.
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As a lot as Lahiri cherishes his staff wins, he’d like to hoist two trophies. He’s been shut on numerous events; he has 5 second-place finishes on LIV Golf. If he wins on Sunday, it will be his first particular person victory on any tour in 10 years to go together with his Crushers staff wins.
“I haven’t felt it, however I’m fairly positive the perfect really feel is to have each trophies,” mentioned the 37-year-old veteran from India. “… I’m not going on the market to show something to anybody. I simply need to go on the market and simply play freely. Play like a child.”
He performed like a person possessed for a lot of the second spherical, together with a stretch of six birdies in 9 holes. At one level, he held a four-stroke lead earlier than the chase pack began to shut in.
It appeared Lahiri was opening the door when his tee shot with a 9-iron on the par-3 sixteenth sailed proper and right into a drainage ditch, during which he obtained a free drop. He managed to avoid wasting par by holing a 38-1/2-foot putt.
The drama wasn’t over. On his ultimate gap, the par-4 18th, he hit a free shot into the waste space left of the green. His second shot settled into the tough, however a spectacular third shot allowed him to avoid wasting par from 11 ft.
“Golf is a very humorous recreation,” Lahiri mentioned. “You look again to a month in the past. I hit among the finest pictures of the 12 months, hit a flag and make double. I stand on 16, and I hit a shank — I’ll say it out loud — and I nonetheless make par.”
Though Lahiri has had loads of alternatives to interrupt his drought, his major chasers are a few of golf’s most distinguished gamers who’re getting their first actual shot of profitable a person LIV Golf title.
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Two-time Masters champ Watson shot a 6-under 65 and can play within the ultimate group on Sunday for simply the second time. His final win of any sort was seven years in the past.
“I’d like to raise a trophy one in every of as of late at LIV,” Watson mentioned, “however the different guys need to do that very same factor.”
Kaymer and McDowell every received majors in 2010, as did Mickelson. Together with Watson, they’ve proven that have and veteran savvy are paying enormous dividends on a course designed by celebrated architect Robert Trent Jones Sr.
“As all the time right here on LIV, it’s an amazing leaderboard,” mentioned the 2010 U.S. Open champ McDowell after his 5-under 66. “I’m excited to be up there. Excited to offer myself in all probability my first alternative on LIV.”
“It’s been a very long time for me that I’ve received a match,” added Kaymer, a two-time main winner and former world No. 1 who shot a 4-under 67 on Saturday. “It’s good to have the prospect once more to really feel that warmth tomorrow.”
They’ll begin early Sunday morning attempting to chase down Lahiri, who hopes to make use of the teachings of his earlier shut calls to get the job achieved Sunday.
“I’ve been responsible of enjoying a bit defensively, particularly after I’ve gotten shut,” he mentioned. “… It’s important to go and assault and make as many birdies as you’ll be able to. The one massive studying from me is whether or not I’m three forward or two again, I’m nonetheless going to try to birdie each gap.”
TEAM SCORES
LIV Golf’s new scoring format this season now includes all 4 scores now counting in each spherical within the staff competitors. Listed here are the outcomes and scores for every staff after Saturday’s Spherical 2 of LIV Golf Virginia.
1. CRUSHERS GC -21 (Lahiri 64, Casey 66, DeChambeau 69, Howell III 71: Rd. 2 rating: -14)
2. SMASH GC -20 (McDowell 66, Gooch 67, Kokrak 67, Koepka 70: Rd. 2 rating: -14)
3. 4ACES GC -13 (Varner III 66, Johnson 69, Pieters 69, Reed 74: Rd. 2 rating: -6)
4. TORQUE GC -12 (Ortiz 65, Niemann 68, Muñoz 69, Pereira 73: Rd. 2 rating: -9)
5. STINGER GC -11 (Oosthuizen 65, Grace 67, Schwartzel 69, Burmester 72: Rd. 2 rating: -11)
6. CLEEKS GOLF CLUB -9 (Kaymer 67, Meronk 68, Bland 70, Kjettrup 71: Rd. 2 rating: -8)
7. RANGEGOATS GC -8 (Watson 65, Campbell 73, Schniederjans 73, Uihlein 74: Rd. 2 rating: +1)
8. LEGION XIII -5 (Hatton 68, Rahm 68, McKibbin 70, Surratt 70: Rd. 2 rating: -8)
T9. HYFLYERS GC E (Mickelson 68, Steele 69, Tringale 71, Ogletree 72: Rd. 2 rating: -4)
T9. IRON HEADS GC E (Jang 69, Na 69, Lee 72, Kozuma 73: Rd. 2 rating: -1)
11. FIREBALLS GC +4 (Masaveu 68, Ancer 70, Garcia 72, Ballester 73: Rd. 2 rating: -1)
12. RIPPER GC +8 (Smith 70, Leishman 71, Herbert 73, Jones 75: Rd. 2 rating: +5)
13. MAJESTICKS GC +12 (Horsfield 67, Stenson 69, Westwood 72, Poulter 76: Rd. 2 rating: E)
Wild Playing cards: Kim 72, C. Lee 76
This piece is courtesy of Mike McAllister in partnership with LIV Golf.
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