In a thrilling second round of LIV Golf Nashville, Tyrrell Hatton surged to the forefront, showing the grit and determination that define champions.
After an initial stretch of nine consecutive pars, Hatton found his rhythm at The Grove, birdieing six of his final seven holes to finish with a bogey-free 7-under 64.
This performance propels him to a two-day total of 13 under, placing him three strokes ahead of his closest competitor, John Catlin of Crushers GC.
Catlin, a reserve player stepping in for the injured Charles Howell III, has delivered a remarkable performance, shooting his second consecutive 66.
His efforts keep him within striking distance of Hatton. Meanwhile, Crushers’ captain Bryson DeChambeau and Legion XIII’s Jon Rahm, two of LIV Golf’s luminaries, are tied for third at 9 under, just one stroke behind Catlin.
The stakes are high as Hatton aims for his first individual title since joining LIV Golf, with Legion XIII leading the team competition by five strokes over the Crushers.
“I’ll probably be a little bit nervous tomorrow, but I’d say that’s a good thing,” Hatton reflected.
“Obviously if you’re nervous about something, you genuinely care about it.”
Saturday’s round saw a tightly packed leaderboard initially, with over 30 players within four shots of the lead at one point.
However, Hatton’s birdie spree, including a chip-in at the par-3 13th and a 30-foot putt on the 14th, set him apart.
“Around this golf course, if you hit the ball good, you’re going to have a lot of opportunities for birdie,” Hatton noted. “You don’t want to be making too many pars.”
Catlin’s steady hand and seasoned experience are also worth noting. With 13 professional wins across various tours, he’s poised for a possible Cinderella story.
“I’ve been here before and I can honestly say I’ve won before, and I can do it again,” Catlin said. “I’m going to go out and control what I can control, and we’ll see what happens.”
DeChambeau, fresh off his U.S. Open victory, battled fatigue but managed to finish strong with four birdies in his last seven holes.
“I’m proud of the way that I’ve managed my energy, although I have close to zero right now,” DeChambeau admitted. “All I want is a shot on the back nine, and that back nine is gettable.”
Rahm, recovering from a foot infection that forced him to withdraw from LIV Golf Houston and miss the U.S. Open, bounced back with an impressive 8-under 63.
“I needed a round like that to get close to the lead,” Rahm said. “Obviously, Tyrrell finished fantastic. Still a little bit of work to do tomorrow.”
The final round promises intense competition. Hatton, Catlin, and DeChambeau will play in the leaders’ group, while Rahm, alongside Ripper GC’s Cameron Smith and Torque GC’s Carlos Ortiz (tied for fifth at 8 under), tees off earlier.
With Legion XIII eyeing both individual and team victories, the drama at LIV Golf Nashville is far from over.
ROUND 2 STATS LEADERS
Driving accuracy: Branden Grace, Phil Mickelson, 92.86% (13 of 14 fairways hit)
Driving distance: Dean Burmester, 345.4 yards avg.
Longest drive: Dean Burmester, 373.4 yards, 18th hole
Greens in regulation: Jon Rahm, 94.44% (17 of 18 greens)
Scrambling: Ian Poulter (6 of 6), Kieran Vincent (4 of 4), Lee Westwood (4 of 4), Adrian Meronk (4 of 4), Henrik Stenson (3 of 3), Jason Kokrak (2 of 2), Tyrrell Hatton (2 of 2) 100%
Putting: Richard Bland, Martin Kaymer, Matthew Wolff, Louis Oosthuizen, Graeme McDowell, 1.39 putts per hole
Bogey-free rounds: Tyrrell Hatton (65), Jason Kokrak (65), Adrian Meronk (66), Ian Poulter (67), Henrik Stenson (68), Lee Westwood (69)
