There are not too many more compelling storylines than a three-way tie leading into Championship Sunday, and that’s exactly what we have brewing in Hong Kong after an explosive Saturday.
Things have been made more interesting by Fireballs captain Sergio Garcia and RangeGoats’ big bomber Peter Uihlein as they’ve joined Paul Casey for the lead in Hong Kong with a score of 11-under par after two days of action.
Team play saw some additional drama with a number of squads massively outperforming their Friday scores, creating the current situation where literally more than half the league’s teams have an honest shot at winning the tournament.
Looking at a second consecutive individual and team playoff, there’s something special about LIV Hong Kong that brings out the competitive edge and bounce-back mentality of the world’s best golfers.
Jon Rahm Surges, Looks to Play Spoiler
We shouldn’t be shocked anymore when Jon Rahm (T7) comes out of nowhere and establishes himself as a legitimate threat to win after a lacklustre start.
With a Saturday performance shooting a 6-under par, Rahm has propelled himself into position to win his first tournament of 2025 and third overall since joining LIV.
Tied for seventh place with seven other members of the field including Bryson DeChambeau and Martin Kaymer, Rahm’s resume suggests he is best suited to close the four-stroke gap between himself and the tri-leaders.
Will Rahm outdo himself tonight and blow away the competition? We’re not betting against that.
Like Rahm, the entirety of Legion XIII has sprung to life, overcoming an embarrassing 2-under par on opening day to ending Saturday with a cumulative 23-under par, by far the best performance by any team all weekend.
Caleb Surratt, who shot 5-over par on Friday, played one of the best rounds of his life, shooting a 62, erasing a large portion of Legion XIII’s deficit.
McKibbin and Tyrrell Hatton have both put themselves in decent positions to win, so a three-way race between teammates to steal the lead isn’t out of the question.
Mickelson Poised for Best LIV Golf Finish
Not only has Phil (T4) put himself in a position to secure his best finish ever in a LIV tournament, he has put himself in a position to pull off what would likely be the most shocking win since Brendan Steele in Adelaide last season.
Shooting 5-under on Saturday, Mickelson replicated his Friday formula, quickly overcoming mistakes with subsequent scoring fests.
Tied with Torque’s Mito Pereira and Sebastian Munoz for 4th place at 8-under par, Mickelson would be the most unlikely champion of 2025 thus far.
While his comeback and return to form was predicted and much anticipated by LIV Golf Weekly, nobody could have guessed it would happen this quickly.
Mito Pereira’s Ace
Speaking about contributing to the overall team effort, Torque was able to hold onto the team lead in large part to some heroics by Mito Pereira, who aced the second hole.
16th Hole Proved the Great Equalizer for Leaders
The 16th hole could have, and probably should have been where the tri-leaders separated themselves, yet a par from Casey and Munoz proved to be disastrous, while a bogie for Uihlein was an unexpected miracle.
Teeing off from the Par 4 16th, Peter Uihlein hit one of his signature bombs, but right into the treelined featuring some nasty brush and dirt.
Uihlein, able to find his ball, hit a low shot that narrowly missed the fairway and landed in thick rough.
It looked like the end for the RangeGoats standout, as Uihlein would likely fall a few places in the standings.
In a reversal of fortune, Uihlein’s third shot stuck about as close to the flag as could be, eventually ending a horrific start with just a bogie.
It was a hole that could have ruined the tournament, but Uihlein put on an absolute clinic on mental toughness and recovery.
Meanwhile, Casey and Munoz both hit decent drives and approach shots, setting themselves up for relatively easy short putts for easy birdies.
Both Casey and Munoz misread the green, turning simple five or six-foot putts into wasted opportunities with so much on the line.
