Jon Rahm (-9) has signed the best card of the day at the LIV Golf tournament taking place this week in Nashville. Fully recovered from an infection between two toes that prevented him from playing last week’s US Open at Pinehurst, the man from Barrika, who started his round with a bogey on his first hole, has given a real masterclass in virtually all aspects of the game to sign a round of 63 strokes, eight under par, with no less than nine birdies.
The Spaniard has been simply immeasurable. He has made long putts in the first half of his round, where the precision he was lacking with the irons was solved with a huge success on the greens; and he has played by the book in his second nine, creating clearer options and making a significant leap in the standings, to finish tied for third place, with all options open to seek his first victory on the Saudi tour tomorrow.
How could you not love this tee shot on the party hole from Rahmbo 😤#LIVGolf @LegionXIIIgc pic.twitter.com/KYL0y1MAvJ
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) June 22, 2024
However, to win, he will have to face high-level rivals in a real cockfight. To start with, with the same score appears Bryson DeChambeau (-9), who at times seems to be running out of batteries after an exhausting week after winning for the second time in his career the major of the USGA, but who with the support of an enthusiastic public, manages to draw strength from weakness to continue making birdies and stay very high.
John Catlin (-10), who started this morning in third position, is another of the candidates for victory with whom the man from Barrika will face tomorrow. The American has resisted like a jabato, with a great round of 66 strokes, also closing his Saturday with a birdie at 18 to get into the stellar match of the last round. Although the great rival for both Rahm and everyone else will undoubtedly be Tyrrell Hatton (-13), who is getting absolutely everything…
Perfect touch from @TyrrellHatton 🤌
He extends his lead by 2 to 9-under 👏#LIVGolf @LegionXIIIgc pic.twitter.com/gp5gBTu7Sv
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) June 22, 2024
The Englishman has been putting them in since the tournament started in all colours. Yesterday he closed the first 18 holes in second position, with six under par, one stroke behind Abraham Ancer (-3), who disappeared in combat this Saturday. And today, his exhibition has gone up a notch, generating constant birdie opportunities, making incredible shots, like a chip from outside the green on the par three of the 13th, or even being lucky to find a ball that seemed lost in the bush on the buzzer.
With seven birdies and no mistake, Rahm‘s partner in the Legion XIII will face the last round of the tournament with a three-stroke lead. However, he will do so with a real pack behind him that, in addition to Catlin, DeChambeau and Rahm, includes names like Carlos Ortiz (-8) or Cameron Smith (-8), who seemed far from the fight for victory until he scored an eagle by holing out from the fairway on the 11th to give himself an ‘extra life’. An opportunity that the rest of the Spaniards will hardly have…
Eagle alert 🦅
Cam Smith with the hole out eagle to jump to 6-under 📈#LIVGolf @rippergc_ pic.twitter.com/6KJw91nduv
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) June 22, 2024
Eugenio López Chacarra (-5), who resisted in the upper zone of the classification for almost all his round, lacked a greater production of birdies in the final stretch of his round, where he made a bogey at 18 that definitely moved him away. Sergio García (-3) made as many birdies as bogeys, three, getting stuck and losing many positions. While David Puig (PAR), with a card of 73 strokes, two above par, sank to the lower zone of the table. All three played at Pinehurst and seem to have run out of energy after the effort of the US Open.
In teams, the Legion XIII (-28) of Rahm are presented as great favourites for victory with the man from Barrika, Hatton and Vincent scoring this Saturday. Their margin over the Crushers (-23) of DeChambeau, Catlin and Lahiri is five strokes, while far away, nine strokes away, appear the Majesticks (-19) of the English. Without a doubt, an exciting Sunday ahead in which, despite not having managed to get into the stellar match as DeChambeau handed in his card earlier, Rahm will seek his first victory in LIV Golf.
