RD. 3 NEWS AND NOTES: RANGEGOATS SEEK REDEMPTION IN MIAMI

MIAMI - Fireballs GC Captain Sergio Garcia has a two-shot lead entering the final round of LIV Golf Miami while Legion XIII is seeking its second team title of the season. Here are some news and notes from the second round at Trump National Doral Golf Club.

RANGEGOATS REDEMPTION?: Bubba Watson and his RangeGoats GC will need to make up some ground against Legion XIII, which will take a three-shot team lead entering Sunday’s final round at LIV Golf Miami.

RELATED: GARCIA LEADS BY TWO SHOTS; LEGION XIII SEEKING SECOND TEAM WIN

Don’t underestimate the RangeGoats’ determination to prove themselves after Watson overhauled the roster, trading away Talor Gooch and Harold Varner III (four individual wins last year) for good friends Matthew Wolff and Peter Uihlein.

Individually, Wolff is tied for second and Uihlein is tied for 13th through two rounds at Doral.

“Obviously Bubba believes a lot in us, which I can’t ask for anything more from a captain, someone I look up to,” Wolff said. “… I think we’re going to go out there and give it our best. At the end of the day, if we’re lifting the trophy, that’s great.”

VINCENT KEY FOR LEGION: LIV Golf Promotions qualifier Kieran Vincent finished last individually last month at LIV Golf Hong Kong on a 6,700-yard course. Now playing the Blue Monster course that’s 1,000 yards longer, the long-hitting Vincent is providing great value for Jon Rahm’s expansion team as it seeks its second title of the season.

Vincent shot a team-best 6-under 66, which tied for the lowest round of the day. That moved him into a tie for sixth at 6 under; teammate Tyrrell Hatton is tied for second at 7 under and Rahm is tied for 11th at 5 under.

Vincent shot an opening even-par 72 that didn’t count for Legion’s team score. Fortunately, 20-year-old Caleb Surratt provided a 3-under 69 on the opening round before shooting 74 on Saturday.

MERONK IN GOOD FORM: New LIV Golf player Adrian Meronk was a late signee just before the season-opener in Mayakoba. Then he ended up sick and was in the hospital prior to the tournament. No surprise that he finished 47th that week.

“It wasn’t a great start,” he said.

Since then, he tied for ninth in Las Vegas, tied for sixth in Jeddah and tied for 15th in Hong Kong, showing the form that earned him the DP Player of the Year title in 2023.

He now has the opportunity to claim the first title of any kind for his team, Cleeks GC, as he goes into the final round at Doral just three strokes off the lead.

“I spent the last couple weeks working really hard on my game,” said Meronk, who is one of 13 LIV Golf players headed to the Masters next week. “It’s nice to see the hard work is paying off. You always want to get in shape before any major. I like what I’m seeing.”

GOOCH’S FINAL-ROUND CONFIDENCE: Having won three LIV Golf tournaments in 2023 en route to the Individual Championship, Talor Gooch learned what it takes to get the job done on Sunday. He’s much more confident in these high-pressure situations than just a few years ago.

“I’ve been there,” said the Smash GC star. “I’ve done it; I’ve not done it. I’ve done it in different ways; I’ve not done it in different ways. Experience is everything in those moments. I’ve had a lot of experience the last few years, so I’m very much more comfortable now than I was three years ago.”

SMITH WD, CAMPBELL IN: Ripper GC Captain Cameron Smith was forced to withdraw prior to Saturday’s second round of LIV Golf Miami due to food poisoning. He was replaced in the Ripper lineup by reserve player Ben Campbell. It’s the first LIV Golf appearance for the 32-year-old from New Zealand, who will also play in Sunday’s final round when all four scores count for each team.

Smith began feeling ill earlier in the week and had to pull out of the pro-am. He felt well enough to start Friday’s opening round at Trump National Doral but struggled throughout the day while posting a 3-over 75.

Campbell shot a 1-under 71 that was the second-lowest score for the Rippers. He led the field in fairways hit on Saturday, missing just one of 14 fairways.

Campbell is currently 11th in this year’s International Series standings and 14th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit. In 2023, he won the Hong Kong Open by one stroke over Smith for his third career win since turning pro in 2012.

ROUND 2 STATS LEADERS

Driving accuracy: Ben Campbell, 92.86% (13 of 14 fairways hit)
Driving distance: Brendan Steele, 331.2 yards avg.
Longest drive: Brendan Steele, 346.7 yards, 8th hole
Greens in regulation: Dean Burmester, Adrian Meronk, Marc Leishman, Martin Kaymer, 83.33% (15 of 18 greens)
Scrambling: Joaquin Niemann (5 of 5), 100%
Putting: Abraham Ancer, 1.39 putts per hole
Bogey-free rounds: Joaquin Niemann (69)