– Talor Gooch (-7) has rediscovered his magic at Valderrama. In true Sergio García style. The American golfer has found his muse again on the course where he achieved the last victory of his career in 2023. Winning here, starting to talk about the majors and the conviction that he should be invited to them, he began to put asterisks and practically disappeared from the map until today. A round of 66 strokes in the second day of the LIV Golf Andalucía. Great round. Much better conditions. Less wind. Very watered and receptive greens. Quite a few more birdies. Gooch made seven birdies and two bogeys playing great golf.
The 33-year-old American from Oklahoma has built a solid four-stroke lead over Dustin Johnson (-3) and five over Branden Grace (-2). It cannot be said that it is decided, as there are still 18 holes that can be very long at Valderrama, but if we consider that the conditions for this Sunday will be much better, less wind and more humidity, it is normal for the scores to be lower and all this is a cocktail that benefits the leader.
– Dustin Johnson has delivered excellence with a card of 64 strokes. It is his second-best result of the year after the eight under par he delivered on the first day in Singapore. It’s not just the result, which is obviously sensational, the best of the second round, but he did it in the purest style of the best DJ. He hit the driver wonderfully and nailed one wedge after another. The most vintage version of the South Carolina man. His only problems of the day, on holes 7 and 8, he resolved with two really delicate par putts, the kind that change your course in a round.
– With the leaderboard set, it’s time to talk about the magic. This chapter is reserved for Patrick Reed (-1). He has hit only four fairways and made a par score. 71 strokes. Impressive. His recovery ability is amazing. The best example is what he did on 17 and 18. From situations where you’re probably thinking about a double bogey, he pulled off two outstanding pars. On 17, he hit the third to clear the water from the bunker lips, with his feet in the sand and the club at stomach height. Birdie chance. Crazy. The same on 18. His tee shot ended up stuck to a tree on the right of the fairway. He had a swing, but with the risk of breaking his hands against the trunk. From there, he took it to the left bunker almost miraculously and made the recovery with a putt of about six metres.
– Jon Rahm (-1) is tied in fourth position with Patrick Reed (-1) and Jinichiro Kozuma (-1). The man from Barrika made 70 strokes with two bogeys in his last four holes. Once again, the same story. Just when it seems he’s going to make a move to climb to the lead and breathe down the leader’s neck, the opposite happens. He got to -3, second alone, two behind Gooch. Right there, he had to play 17, par 5, a good opportunity to keep reducing. However, he missed the tee shot to the bunker, had to lay up, and his third shot ended up in the bunker again. Cruel bogey. The 17th has cost him a stroke in two days when normally he would have made two less. Those three strokes of difference are what he might miss for tomorrow. “I’m a bit tired of this happening to me in recent months. It always seems the same. I didn’t expect two players to make 64 and 66 strokes,” he explains.
Be that as it may, Rahm doesn’t throw in the towel. He never does. He has a clear attack plan. “The goal is to start well. If I can halve the deficit after nine holes, anything can happen at Valderrama. Anyone can have a bad day. If I start with a couple of birdies and Talor makes two bad swings, everything can change. And if he plays like today and wins comfortably, then you just have to congratulate him,” he adds.
– Rahm is the best Spaniard in the tournament with 18 holes to go. Sergio García (PAR) follows closely after signing a card of 69 strokes that feels like not enough. He started with three consecutive birdies and at times aimed for Dustin Johnson‘s round. On this occasion, the putter drove him crazy. He missed many close birdie chances and some basic par ones to keep advancing positions. In any case, it had been a long time since he was in the top 10 with 18 holes to go. Additionally, David Puig is at +2, still with a chance to certify a great week, while Josele Ballester (+6) and Luis Masaveu (+10) have fallen far behind.
