NEWS AND NOTES: VINCENT PROJECTED INTO LOCK ZONE AFTER RD. 2

NOTES

VINCENT PROJECTED INTO LOCK ZONE: Iron Heads GC’s Scott Vincent earned his way into the 2023 LIV Golf League season by virtue of his performance last year on the International Series as the Order of Merit leader.

Now he’s one round away from earning his way into the 2024 LIV Golf League season.

Vincent’s 8-under 62 on Saturday at Royal Greens moved him into a tie for fourth with Bryson DeChambeau on the tournament leaderboard. At 8 under for the tournament, he’s four strokes behind leader Brooks Koepka.

Just as important, he’s now projected to move into the Top 24 in the season-long points standings. If he stays there after Sunday’s final round, he will finish in the Lock Zone – the top 24 players who are guaranteed spots next season.

“It’s obviously on my mind,” Vincent said, “but it’s something that I can’t really focus on myself. We’ve got one more day of golf. And that’s kind of what I’m focusing on. It’s just about being in the present for me. I’m really grateful to be out here playing and competing with amazing players. And it is going to be an awesome battle tomorrow.”

RELEGATION WATCH: Cleeks GC’s Bernd Wiesberger is projected to fall into the Drop Zone and face relegation – and it could be because of his captain, Martin Kaymer.

Kaymer started the week with zero points, but he’s now projected to finish with eight points. His 4-under 66 on Saturday moved him to 6 under for the tournament and in a four-way tie for ninth.

Wiesberger, who entered the week with eight points, is at 1 under for the tournament and tied for 31st, which means he would receive no additional points.

If Kaymer and Wiesberger finish with eight points each, Kaymer would win the season-long tiebreaker due to having the better result in a tournament this season.

Wiesberger, who started the week ranked 44th in points, is projected to drop to 45th. Non-captains who finish 45th or lower after Jeddah will be relegated out of the league, although they will have a chance to play their way back in at the Promotion tournament later this year.

The four players who started the week in the Drop Zone – Jediah Morgan, James Piot, Chase Koepka and Sihwan Kim – remain there after two rounds.

SERGIO LIKES FIREBALLS MOMENTUM: Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs GC are too far behind in the season-long team standings to grab one of the top four seeds and a bye for next week’s Team Championship in Miami.

But the Fireballs are trending well. After a second-place finish in Chicago, they are tied for second through two rounds in Jeddah at 19 under, three strokes behind Crushers GC.

Garcia’s 7-under 63 certainly helped the Fireballs’ efforts on Saturday.

“Momentum is always good,” Garcia said. “It’s always important. It’s always positive. Obviously having a couple good weeks coming into Miami, it’s great.”

NO BOGEYS FOR SMASH: Saturday’s three counting scores for Smash GC included Brooks Koepka’s 8-under 62 and 5-under 65s from Jason Kokrak and Matthew Wolff. That’s 18 under for 54 holes played – and all three players went bogey-free.

“Never really felt like I had a chance to make a bogey,” Koepka said.

Smash is at 19 under and tied with Fireballs GC for second place.

LAHIRI DISTRACTED BY CRICKET WORLD CUP: Crushers GC’s Anirban Lahiri put together a much-improved performance in the second round despite a massive distraction.

 The Indian, who is 10th in the individual standings with three second-place finishes this season, needed to focus hard on his golf while also keep one eye on what was going on in the India-Pakistan Cricket World Cup match.

Lahiri is a huge cricket fan and could not help checking the score several times during the round. He said on his fourth hole, he checked the score and then “promptly hit a shot into the palm trees and lost my ball,” said Lahiri, who provided one of the Crushers’ counting scores Saturday with a 67. “So, it was time to focus on my own golf.”

Click here for a full second-round recap from LIV Golf Jeddah

RD. 2 STAT LEADERS

Driving distance – Sihwan Kim, 341.7-yard average

Longest drive – Sihwan Kim, 383.0 yards (9th hole)

Driving accuracy – Brooks Koepka, 86% (12 of 14)

Greens in regulation – Joaquin Niemann, Patrick Reed, 89% (16 of 18)

Scrambling – Brooks Koepka (6 of 6), Talor Gooch (5 of 5), Eugenio Chacarra (5 of 5), Matthew Wolff (5 of 5), Jason Kokrak (3 of 3), Lee Westwood (3 of 3), Joaquin Niemann (2 of 2), 100%

Fewest putts – Brooks Koepka, Danny Lee, 22 putts

Most birdies – Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, 8

Bogey-free rounds – Brooks Koepka (62), Talor Gooch (64), Joaquin Niemann (65), Jason Kokrak (65), Matthew Wolff (65), Eugenio Chacarra (66)