BOLINGBROOK, Ill. – Dean Burmester of Stinger GC takes a two-shot lead entering the final round at LIV Golf Chicago while the team leaderboard is tight at the top. Here are some other news, notes and stats from the second round.
RELATED: Leaderboard | Rd. 2 recap | Video highlights
LIV GOLF CHICAGO ROUND 2 NOTES
SPANISH CONNECTION
A year ago, Legion XIII Captain Jon Rahm played in the final threesome at LIV Golf Chicago with fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia. Rahm went on to win the tournament and clinch the LIV Golf Individual Championship.
On Sunday, Rahm will play with Garcia’s newest Fireballs GC acquisition, Josele Ballester, the 21-year-old emerging star. They’ll both be chasing 36-hole leader Dean Burmester.
“In a weird way, a good feeling, a good sense, because I played with Sergio on Sunday last year and was able to get the win,” Rahm said, “so hopefully it repeats itself where I play with another Spaniard and I get the win as well.”
Besides their Spanish heritage, Rahm and Ballester both played collegiate golf at Arizona State, although not as teammates, of course. Rahm is 30 while Ballester is the league’s second-youngest player at age 21.
“I spent some time with him in Arizona,” Rahm said. “Not as much as you would think for somebody that’s been at ASU for four years like him, but I’m well aware of his abilities and his game. … Hoping nothing but the best for him tomorrow.”
Said Ballester: “I’m super-pumped to play with Jon. It’s something that when I came to college here in the States, I always looked up to him. Being able to share a final pairing with him is going to be fun.”
“DUMB BOGEY”
Having captured a share of the lead at the time with an eagle and a birdie late in his round Saturday, Josele Ballester bogeyed the 443-yard par-4 18th. He called it a “dumb bogey.”
His explanation showed his ability to recognize the consequences, which should benefit him in future situations.
“I hit a 410-yard drive. I was 20 yards from the green, and I hit four shots from there,” Ballester said. “I know the [second] shot wasn’t easy because the angle was not the best. It was pretty downwind and the green was firm, so I knew I didn’t have much space. Maybe that’s something that I need to get better at, being more disciplined, and even on a 40-yard wedge shot being able to just aim 5-7 yards right and accept that from that position I’m not going to make birdie.
“I executed OK, didn’t put the spin that I wanted and the ball just released over the green in the rough. I had a bad lie over there and hit a really good putt from 6 feet for par that lipped out. I was honestly not expecting to leave that hole with a bogey after the drive that I hit.”
HOT AND WINDY
Dean Burmester’s lone LIV Golf win came last season in Miami at Doral, a tough course that can be windy and often hot. He’s experiencing similar conditions in Chicago this week at Bolingbrook, and said Saturday there are some similarities.
“Doral is probably a slightly more challenging golf course to the eye, but this golf course plays tough,” Burmester said. “I know the scoring has been pretty good, but honestly, the golf course, it’s bouncy. You need a little bit of luck, kind of hold a few of these fairways. Then the greens are just pure. They’re as good a bentgrass greens as you’ll see, especially in this heat. …
“Very similar to Miami, so I suppose that brings back some good memories.”
LATEST PROJECTIONS
Based on the 36-hole leaderboard, Jon Rahm would move to within 11 points of Joaquin Niemann in the Individual Championship standings going into next week’s LIV Golf Indianapolis. Rahm, currently tied for second, is projected to have 196.17 points while Niemann is projected to remain at 206.80 points.
GOOD DAY FOR WILD CARDS
Wild card players Chieh-Po Lee and Anthony Kim both performed well in the second round. Lee shot a 4-under 67 and is now T18 for the week. The performance increased Lee’s chances of escaping the dreaded drop zone to 33.9%. Kim struggled on Friday with an 11-over 82, the day’s worst score but staged a remarkable comeback on Saturday, carding a 3-under 68, a stunning 14-shot improvement.
BALLESTER OFF THE TEE
Through two rounds, Josele Ballester is dominating the field in Strokes gained off the tee. He’s gained 4.22 strokes in the category while the second best (Charles Howell III) has gained 2.82. After the round, Ballester said: “When I’m good off the tee, as a good friend of mine said once, I’m dangerous, so hopefully I can keep putting it in position.”
YEAR’S LONGEST DRIVE
After starting his second round at the par-3 13th, Caleb Surratt’s first tee shot with his driver Saturday traveled 443.6 yards at the par-5 14th. It’s the longest drive by any player on any measured hole (two per tournament) this season.
The previous longest drive on a measured hole this season was 422.6 yards by Mito Pereira at the third hole in the first round at Korea.
Joaquin Niemann nearly matched Surratt’s drive Saturday, with his tee shot at the 14th measuring 440.5 yards.