JEDDAH RD. 2: KOEPKA EYES REPEAT; GOOCH PROJECTED NO. 1; CRUSHERS TAKE TEAM LEAD

If he plays well Sunday and everything falls his way, the RangeGoats GC star will earn a memorable season-long title, as well as the $18 million bonus. The final round at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club will complete the regular season competition for the crown.

“I think everyone knows what’s on the line tomorrow, and that’s going to build the intensity of it,” Gooch said. “… It’s such an incredible opportunity, so you’ve just got to take it in stride and just embrace it.

“I knew it was going to come down to Sunday.”

Starting the tournament in second place in the overall standings behind Ripper GC Captain Cameron Smith, Gooch is now projected into the top spot after his 64 on Saturday moved him into a four-way tie for ninth on the tournament leaderboard at 6 under, six shots behind tournament leader Brooks Koepka.

Smith is at 2 under after his 68 and is tied for 25th, which earns no points and would drop him to No. 2 in the Individual standings.

The other player with Individual Champion aspirations is Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau, who made a big charge Saturday with a 7-under 63 that leaves him at 8 under and tied for fourth. DeChambeau needs to finish in the top three to have any chance at the title, but his fate also depends on how Smith and Gooch finish.

“All I’m focused on tomorrow is winning this tournament, and the rest will take care of itself,” DeChambeau said. “The job is not even close to being done. We’ve got 18 more holes.”

Winning the tournament will be a challenge if Koepka continues his impressive play at Royal Greens.

The Smash GC captain won here last year after opening with a 62. He matched that score on Saturday, shooting a bogey-free 8-under round in which he opened with six birdies in his first eight holes.

At 12 under for the tournament, he leads Fireballs GC Captain Sergio Garcia and the Crushers’ Charles Howell III by three strokes, with DeChambeau and Scott Vincent – who also shot 62 on Saturday – another stroke back.

Koepka started the tournament too far back in points to challenge for the Individual title, but he does have an opportunity to finish third in the standings and claim a $4 million bonus. He must repeat as tournament champion and hope DeChambeau finishes no better than 14th.

“Just keep doing what I’m doing,” Koepka said. “Seems to be working since I’m at the top.”

Vincent, a member of Iron Heads GC, also has a huge opportunity on Sunday. He started the week outside the Lock Zone – the top 24 in points who earn guaranteed spots in next year’s LIV Golf League. But his second-round 62 now projects him into 24th in the standings.

“Tomorrow’s a big day,” Vincent said. “You can’t hide from that.”

Meanwhile, team seeds will also be determined, with the top four seeds receiving quarterfinal byes for next week’s Team Championship in Miami.

RangeGoats GC is projected to move ahead of Stinger GC for the final bye, while DeChambeau’s Crushers GC are 22 under and have a three-stroke lead on the tournament leaderboard, projecting them to the No. 1 seed ahead of 4Aces GC.

“Definitely want to win the team championship and be first in the points list going to Miami,” said DeChambeau, whose Crushers have won twice this year, including the previous LIV Golf event in Chicago. “We’re that good of a team, and my boys have worked really hard this year. If we play well tomorrow, we definitely deserve to be up in that No. 1 spot.”

Click here for plenty more news, notes and stats from the second round

TEAM COUNTING SCORES

Here are the standings and counting scores for Saturday’s second round of the team competition at LIV Golf Jeddah presented by ROSHN. The three best scores from each team count in every round for their total team score. The team with the lowest cumulative score after three rounds wins the team title. In addition, the season standings after LIV Golf Jeddah will determine seeds for next week’s Team Championship in Miami.

1. CRUSHERS GC (-22): Bryson DeChambeau 63, Charles Howell III 64, Anirban Lahiri 67 (Rd. 2 score: -16)

T2. SMASH GC (-19): Brooks Koepka 62, Jason Kokrak 65, Matthew Wolff 65 (Rd. 2 score: -18)

T2. FIREBALLS GC (-19): Sergio Garcia 63, Eugenio Chacarra 66, Abraham Ancer 67 (Rd. 2 score: -14)

4. TORQUE GC (-17): Joaquin Niemann 65, Mito Pereira 65, David Puig 67 (Rd. 2 score: -13)

5. RANGEGOATS GC (-15): Talor Gooch 64, Thomas Pieters 67, Harold Varner III 67 (Rd. 2 score: -12)

6. HYFLYERS GC (-14): Brendan Steele 65, Cameron Tringale 65, Phil Mickelson 68 (Rd. 2 score: -12)

7. RIPPER GC (-13): Matt Jones 67, Jediah Morgan 68, Cameron Smith 68 (Rd. 2 score: -7)

8. STINGER GC (-12): Dean Burmester 65, Charl Schwartzel 67, Branden Grace 68 (Rd. 2 score: -10)

T9. 4ACES GC (-11): Dustin Johnson 68, Patrick Reed 68, Peter Uihlein 68 (Rd. 2 score: -6)

T9. CLEEKS GC (-11): Martin Kaymer 66, Bernd Wiesberger 68, Richard Bland 69 (Rd. 2 score: -7)

T9. IRON HEADS GC (-11): Scott Vincent 62, Danny Lee 67, Sihwan Kim 71 (Rd. 2 score: -10)

12. MAJESTICKS GC (-2): Ian Poulter 68, Lee Westwood 70, Henrik Stenson 71 (Rd. 2 score: -1)