Australia’s Lucas Herbert extended his lead to four strokes with another strong showing in the second round of LIV Golf United Kingdom on Friday in Rocester, England.
Herbert, who broke the course record at JCB Golf and Country Club with an 11-under-par 61 on Thursday, followed that with a 6-under showing — tied for the best round of the day — to reach 17-under 127 at the halfway point of the event.
After posting his best career major finish last week at the Open Championship (tied for sixth), the 30-year-old is seeking his second LIV win of the season after triumphing at LIV Golf Virginia in May.
He was afforded the chance to play alongside Bryson DeChambeau, who is in second place at 13 under, on Friday and will again for Saturday’s third round. Herbert appreciates the push that level of direct competition has given him.
“It was great playing with Bryson today,” Herbert said. “You kind of expect him to either hit a good shot or make every putt, and it kind of keeps you on your own game, just keeps you that little bit sharp on your own game, a little bit better.”
The highs of Herbert’s second round were nearly as high as his performance on Thursday. He finished with seven birdies and posted an eagle for the second straight day, this time at the par-5 13th hole.
The difference was his three front-nine bogeys which resulted in him finishing the opening nine holes at 1 under before posting a bogey-free, five-under back nine.
“I feel like I made probably a similar amount of birdies to yesterday. I just couldn’t get the momentum going by making bogeys thrown in there,” Herbert said. “It was not my best stuff out there, but that back nine kind of hung around long enough to see my chance to take the lead again come to fruition.”
DeChambeau, coming off a successful yet controversial weekend at the Open, got off to a strong start with four birdies in the first seven holes, which briefly moved him past Herbert into the lead. However, he was just one under over the remaining 11 holes, with three birdies and two bogeys in a six-hole span from No. 10 through No. 15 as he watched Herbert regain and rebuild his advantage.
“I’ve got to focus on playing some really good golf, not making too many mistakes out there. I made too many on the back nine today,” DeChambeau, who is second in the LIV season standings, said. “Shoulda, coulda, woulda, right? We all know how that goes. It is what it is, four shots back and 36 holes of golf.”
Crushers GC, which DeChambeau captains, is second in the team standings at 28 under, nine strokes behind Herbert’s Ripper GC (37 under).
England’s Tyrrell Hatton (68) is in solo third at 10 under, and Byeong Hun An (68) of South Korea and Harold Varner III (69) are tied for fourth at 9 under.
Season standings leader Jon Rahm is effectively out of contention at 1 under in a tie for 31st.
–Field Level Media
