LIV Golf Dallas Rd. 2 News and Notes: Tight race for Open exemption

LIV GOLF DALLAS ROUND 2 NOTES

CLOSE RACE FOR OPEN EXEMPTION

With one round left, Fireballs GC Captain Sergio Garcia currently is projected to claim the LIV Golf exemption for next month’s Open Championship. But his advantage over teammate David Puig is down to less than three points.

RELATED: ROUND 2 RECAP | LEADERBOARD | RD. 2 HIGHLIGHTS

Puig enters Sunday’s final round tied for fourth on the tournament leaderboard, while Garcia is outside the points in a tie for 37th. A victory by Puig would net him 40 points in the individual standings, vaulting him past Garcia, unless his captain stages a miracle top-3 finish. Alternatively, Puig could secure the exemption by finishing solo fourth (18 points) or better if Garcia places outside the points (top 24). Garcia started the week 17.90 points ahead of Puig in the standings.

“It's definitely a goal of mine,” Puig said. “Anytime someone can avoid going to the qualifier, it's great. That's the main goal. Obviously, I want to play the Open. It's one of the best tournaments of the year. I really want to be there, and I'm trying to do as much as I can and my part to be able to be there.”

Other contenders, like Ripper GC’s Lucas Herbert (seventh) and Torque GC’s Sebastian Munoz (eighth), remain mathematically in the hunt, but their paths are narrower – Herbert or Muñoz would need to race up the leaderboard significantly with Puig dropping in the final round.

Another Fireballs player, Abraham Ancer, also has an outside shot but would need help from Puig and Garcia.

BLAND LOOKING GOOD

Richard Bland’s decision to play LIV Golf Dallas and improve his status for next season is looking like a smart move, as he enters the final round tied for fourth.

Bland is the defending champion of the U.S. Senior Open, which is taking place this week. The Cleeks Golf Club veteran, after his 3-under 69 on Saturday, is tied for fourth and four shots off the lead at Maridoe.

“Obviously you always want to defend something you won the year before, especially a tournament like the U.S. Senior Open,” Bland said. “But as always, I'm committed to LIV. I didn't even ask the question. I know I have a contract, and I have to honor that.

“Obviously I would love to be there, but I'm also committed, and I love playing LIV. I love playing for the Cleeks. Yeah, I'm happy.”

Bland has finished in the top 24 Lock Zone in each of his first three seasons in LIV Golf and is projected to move into 15th in the standings.

REED’S BUNKER PLAY

Things could have gotten away from Patrick Reed on the par-5 13th until a magnificent shot from a bunker 70 yards away helped him make an unlikely par and keep his round on track.

"Yeah, I hit a poor tee shot there and ended up having a really bad lie,” he said. “I just hit pitching wedge. I opened the face of my pitching wedge just trying to get it out of the rough and the lie wouldn't allow it. I made a mess of the first three golf shots, ended up in that fairway bunker, and the funny thing is during the pro-am I had that exact bunker shot but from like 100 yards.

"These bunkers are good enough where the ball sits up on top, so you get a clean lie, you just have to pick it really cleanly, and I was lucky enough to not only make solid contact there but to hit my number. I felt like that definitely kept me in the round, kept me going. Especially after birdieing the previous hole, the last thing I wanted to go was go to a par-5 and make bogey."

Reed has successfully scrambled on eight of 10 chances this week. Only teammate Harold Varner III has a better percentage (83.33% from 10 of 12).

"Those 50- to 70-yard bunker shots aren't fun,” Reed said. “I don't care where you are, they're so hard. To have two of them today and get one of them up-and-down and make par with, those are crucial parts of the round that allow you to move forward and go on to the next hole."

PROPS TO TEXAS FANS

Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau, the Dallas-area resident who was involved in the promotion of his hometown tournament, was ecstatic about the turnout Saturday.

“This is what it's about,” DeChambeau said. “We were able to bring some people out here with my little debacle, I guess you could say, sitting up on one of the freeways there. I don't think insurance is going to cover that, but it's fine.

“It was great to see the fans out in storm and this is what the hometown of Dallas is about. Great crowds, great people, great atmosphere, and it sure is a fun time.”

Fireballs teammates Abraham Ancer and David Puig also expressed gratitude for the fans who endured the heat to support them.

Ancer said: “It's really hot. I heard today was sold out, which is really cool to see. A lot of kids, a lot of energy, a lot of support, a lot of Latinos out there representing and really pushing us.”

Added Puig: “It's great to see this many people. I know it's hot. It's sunny, it's great weather, but it's obviously very hot. We really appreciate everybody that showed up these couple days, and hopefully it gets pretty loud tomorrow.”

THE ENGLISHMEN

Three of the top seven players on the leaderboard are from England, thriving in the Texas heat. Paul Casey is tied for second with Abe Ancer, while Tyrrell Hatton and Richard Bland are among the foursome tied for fourth. “Well, it’s pretty much 90 degrees in the UK right now,” Bland said.

Hatton had the day’s lowest round, a 7-under 65. Casey shot a 68 and Bland a 69.

BOUNCE BACK FOR NIEMANN

Season-long Individual points leader Joaquin Niemann, winner of four of the first eight tournaments, had an uncharacteristic 6-over 78 in the opening round that included a quintuple-bogey 10 at the par-5 seventh when he suffered three water balls.

No surprise that the Torque GC captain bounced back on Saturday with the second lowest score of the day, a 6-under 66. Niemann is now tied for 15th at even par.

LIV GOLF DALLAS ROUND 2 STATS LEADERS

Driving accuracy: Henrik Stenson, 92.86% (13 of 14 fairways hit)

Driving distance average (for measured holes 13 and 18): Joaquin Niemann, 355.7 yards avg.

Longest drive (among measured holes 13 and 18): Jon Rahm, 381.6 yards, 18th hole

Greens in regulation: Patrick Reed, Paul Casey, Ben Campbell, Sam Horsfield, Chieh-Po Lee, 77.78% (14 of 18 greens)

Scrambling: Tyrrell Hatton, Richard Bland (6 of 7), 85.71%

Putting: Tyrrell Hatton, 1.17 putts per hole

Bogey-free rounds: none