Niemann holds on to LIV Golf Mayakoba lead but Rahm is on the move

CAPTION: Anirban Lahiri mugs for the camera on day two of LIV Golf Mayakoba in Mexico on Saturday. Image courtesy livgolf.com.

Rahul Banerji

 

Chilean golfer Joaquin Neimann could not repeat his heroics of the opening day but did enough to take a four-shot lead into the final round of LIV Golf’s season-opening event in Mayakoba in Mexico on Saturday over Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm and in-form South African Dean Burmester.

Neimann, whose Torque team won four times last year but has never been in the individual winner’s circle at LIV Golf League events, followed his first round 59 with a workmanlike 1 under 70 at the El Camaleon course in Playa Del Carmen even as Spanish superstar Rahm and two-time DP World (European) Tour winner this season Burmester had 9 under totals after completing 36 holes.

Neimann’s 13 under total does give him the luxury of a sizeable cushion but the high-quality pack in his wake leaves him no room for error over the final 18 holes, as he recognised, saying, “Obviously in 18 holes there's a lot that can happen.

“I'm just looking forward for that day. It's going to be a lot of fun. I'm going to play with Jon, which is going to be my first Sunday against him, and I was looking for that for a while.”

Rahm, the 2023 Augusta Masters champion and making his LIV Golf debut this week along with his Legion XIII team, fired a 4-under 67 hitting 16 of 18 greens in regulation while Burmester went one better with a 5 under card.

The Spaniard later said, “Fantastic day on a much tougher golf course. I'm just happy that on my first start I have a chance to win. It's that simple. After having as much time off as I did, I'm always confident in myself, but I wasn't sure I was going to come out, and to start this way, I'm very, very pleased.”

Burmester’s 5-under 66 was the joint vest round of the day and puts him in the same group as Neimann and Rahm.

“Look, he (Neimann) is the guy to catch,” the South African said. “There’s no better place to be than right behind him and watch what he’s doing because that can dictate what you need to do sometimes.

“I'm fortunate enough to still be able to play in South Africa. That was kind of a culmination of a whole year of playing pretty solid, and then to go and win those two events has just boosted my confidence. I've got great belief in what I can do and what I'm doing, and I think Joaco feels the exact same thing.

“Getting a win under your belt gives you so much confidence for a prolonged period of time. It doesn't matter where you hit it, you still believe you can do something with it.”

In the team event, Torque were on top of the leaderboard on 15 under, five strokes ahead of Rahm’s Legion XIII and six up on the revamped Smash GC, who now have 2023 individual champion Talor Gooch in the lineup.

Defending team champions Crushers GC moved up one place from sixth overnight with Anirban Lahiri yet to break at the event, following his opening level par 71 with a 73.

Team scores

1.Torque: -15 (Niemann 70, Muñoz 70, Ortiz 71)

2. Legion XIII: -10 (Rahm 67, Surratt 70, Hatton 70)

3. Smash: -9 (Koepka 68, Kokrak 68, Gooch 69)

4. Stinger: -8 (Burmester 66, Oosthuizen 69, Schwartzel 76)

5. Crushers: -7 (Howell III 69, Casey 69, Lahiri 73)

6. Ripper: -6 (Smith 70, Herbert 70, Jones 73)

7. Fireballs: -4 (Garcia 70, Chacarra 70, Puig 73)

T8. Majesticks: -2 (Poulter 68, Horsfield 69, Westwood 70)

T8. Cleeks: -2 (Meronk 70, Bland 74, Samooja 75)

10. 4Aces: -1 (Johnson 71, Reed 73, Varner III 76)

11. Iron Heads: E (Na 70, Lee 73, Vincent 73)

T12. RangeGoats: +1 (Watson 69, Pieters 72, Wolff 73)

T12. HyFlyers: +1 (Steele 66, Tringale 70, Mickelson 77)