Staff WriterAt LIV Adelaide, the Majesticks GC finds itself on the brink of something extraordinary—just one round away from snapping a podium drought that stretches all the way back to LIV Golf Boston in 2022.
Since then, a whopping 33 tournaments have come and gone, leading Sam Horsfield to quip, “Yeah, my memory doesn’t go back that far.”
Yet here they are, leading the team leaderboard by a single shot heading into the final round of LIV Golf Adelaide, and eyeing both the team and individual trophies.
Horsfield shares the top of the individual leaderboard with Torque GC’s Carlos Ortiz and Fireballs GC’s Abraham Ancer, each at 9-under overall.
That trio sits three strokes clear of the chasing pack, with Torque Captain Joaquin Niemann and Legion XIII’s Jon Rahm lurking in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Crafty Vets on the Cusp
Sunday could become the biggest day in Majesticks history, especially with both Horsfield and Henrik Stenson (tied for sixth) in the thick of contention.
Stenson—who co-captains the Majesticks with fellow European stars Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood—is the only member of the team who’s tasted trophy success, having captured individual honours at Bedminster in his LIV Golf debut in 2022.
“They’ve been around the block a few times, and they know how to get it done,” Horsfield said of his teammates.
“I call them crafty veterans. I think they’re really, really excited. I can feel my phone vibrating in my back pocket, so I’m sure it’s them in a group chat.”
While the Majesticks chat away, they still have to handle a Grange course that has not been in a generous mood.
Swirling winds on Saturday pushed the scoring average to 72.611, more than half a stroke over par. That’s nearly a stroke tougher than the opening round.
Even so, the Majesticks were the only team whose entire roster shot under par in the second round.
Horsfield led the way with a 3-under 69, Poulter and Westwood each added 2-under 70s, and Stenson posted a 1-under 71.
Their collective 8-under day was four strokes better than any other squad, nudging them one shot clear of Rahm’s Legion XIII—the winners last week in Riyadh—and Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs GC.
The Majesticks believe that LIV Golf’s new format, which counts all four scores every round, plays right into their hands.
Tough conditions also didn’t seem to rattle three co-captains who have piled up more than 80 professional wins.
“Looking back at some of the previous years, I think we’ve been one of the more consistent teams, but we haven’t really had those low rounds getting in there,” Stenson said.
“Especially with the conditions being as they are, being tough, then if we can just keep on grinding away and playing solid tee to green, then we should give ourselves some good chances.”
Horsfield Hanging On
Horsfield, now 28, is hoping to secure his first individual LIV Golf win and his fourth victory since turning pro in 2017.
He admitted that Saturday’s 3-under 69 wasn’t easy, especially after starting with a bogey.
“It was a real tough test,” Horsfield said. “I was really proud of the way that I hung in there and fought.”
Ortiz and Ancer, his playing partners for the final round, each know how it feels to win on this tour.
Ancer won in Hong Kong, while Ortiz triumphed in Houston last season. Ancer’s also no stranger to success Down Under: He claimed the Australian Open title in 2018 and shot the day’s best score with a 5-under 67 on Saturday.
“I love this kind of golf,” Ancer said. “I’ve always loved playing in Australia. Seeing the conditions like this is exciting. It’s tough, but it’s really good for me.”
Ortiz, meanwhile, posted a 68 thanks to a three-birdie surge in four holes. He’s been particularly good at damage control, going 7-for-7 in scrambling.
“You really have to be respectful of the golf course, almost play a little bit defensive, and I think I’ve done a good job of that,” Ortiz said.
“I feel like I’ve taken my medicine when I’ve been out of play. I’ve honestly quite played conservative off the tee and into the greens, and I think that’s paid off.”
With one round remaining, the Majesticks have a golden opportunity to dust off their trophy shelves—and they’re not the only ones hoping to make Sunday a day of firsts and flashes of brilliance at LIV Adelaide.
If you’re looking for dramatic final-round storylines, this might just be the place to find them. After all, one of golf’s greatest truisms is that anything can happen when the pressure is on and the wind is swirling—and that goes double for those “crafty veterans” who believe their time has finally come.
