The jostling to get into the Lock Zone and the battle to avoid relegation will reach its climax with the final 18 holes on Sunday in LIV Golf Chicago.
A few determined moves were made on Saturday at Bolingbrook Golf Club that sets up an exciting final round.
Ripper GC’s Lucas Herbert (pictured) wants to make his captain, Cam Smith, look good by earning his place for next season through finishing in the Lock Zone. The second round appeared to be going horribly wrong for Herbert after an early bogey, followed by a double bogey on the island green sixth hole but he knuckled down and finished tied for seventh at 3-under.
And Cleeks GC’s Kalle Samooja seems to have saved his best for the last, producing one of only three bogey-free rounds of the day in tough scoring conditions. The only Finnish player on LIV Golf made eight out of eight scrambles and four birdies to shoot 66 in what was his second best round in the league this season.
As things stand, Herbert is projected to move up to 25th place in the Individual standings, which means he needs to make a move up the leaderboard.
Samooja, facing Drop Zone relegation jumped 10 places and is projected inside the Open Zone to No 43.
Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, who started the tournament at No 49, dropped one place to No 50 but he is just outside the tournament points, tied for 27th. The Iron Heads member needs to finish inside the top 20 on Sunday to have a chance to move inside the Lock Zone.
Pat Perez of 4Aces is in 49th place but he left himself a mountain to climb after finishing the day 49th at 7-over.
Harold Varner III of Range Goats GC is projected to occupy the 48th and final Open Zone place in the standings.
Samooja, who made a courageous par on the difficult par-3 4th hole (his 17th), then closed with a final-hole birdie that also elevated Cleeks to a tie for lead in the Team leaderboard alongside Crushers GC.
“I was very proud of the way I played. It wasn’t pretty but I battled hard and made some very good par saves,” said Samoa, who qualified for LIV Golf this season by winning the Promotions event in Abu Dhabi last December.
“I did have an idea of what I needed to do (to get into the Open Zone) but I cannot think about where I need to finish for that. I just need to go out and play good golf and hopefully have another round like the one I had today.”
Brendan Steele, winner of LIV Golf Adelaide, continues to hold on to the 24th place in the projected standings but his position is tenuous as he is outside the points, tied for 34th. That’s left an opening for Herbert.
“Happy with the way I fought back,” said Herbert, who made three consecutive birdies from the 9th to 11th holes. “I made one bad swing and it cost me a double bogey but I knew I was swinging well and I could get over that start. Found something in my putting when I made a 10-footer birdie putt on the ninth and played well after that on a golf course that was playing firm and reminded me of the tracks back home in Australia.
“I want to prove that Cam was right in choosing me as one of his team members. I want to do it the right way. And I also want to help Ripper finish in the top three so that we could get a bye on Friday in Dallas.
“I am going in tomorrow with the mindset that I need to make birdies and finish better than where I am.”
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