Talor Gooch, Thomas Detry, and Peter Uihlein share the lead at 10 under par after two rounds of the ROSHN Group LIV Golf Riyadh, with scoring conditions once again producing a tightly packed leaderboard.
Gooch’s ‘Rule of 67’ keeps Smash GC captain in control
Gooch backed up his opening-round 67 with another five-under-par effort to maintain a share of the lead. The Smash GC captain credited his consistency to a simple approach he calls the “Rule of 67”.
“You go play good golf, and everything takes care of itself,” Gooch said. “Birdies take care of all that stuff. As long as I stay focused on that, everything else works out.”
Detry and Uihlein battle through uneven second rounds
While Gooch cruised, Detry and Uihlein had less straightforward paths to remain tied for the lead.
Both followed their opening 65s with three-under 69s, mixing five birdies with two bogeys. Uihlein’s round included several adventurous moments off the tee, but strong putting helped him stay in contention.
Four players lurk one shot back at nine under
Just one stroke behind the leaders is a strong chasing group at nine under par:
- Jason Kokrak fired the round of the day with an eight-under 64
- Jon Rahm posted a four-under 68
- Sebastian Muñoz added another steady 68
- Elvis Smylie continued his impressive debut week with a 69
Muñoz, the most recent LIV Golf individual winner in Indianapolis, said patience was key in tougher afternoon conditions.
“The wind picked up big time,” Muñoz said. “We picked big targets and tried to hold on.”
Fireballs GC duo remain within striking distance
Sergio Garcia and David Puig sit at eight under par, two shots off the lead, keeping Fireballs GC firmly in the hunt.
Overall, nine players are within two shots heading into the weekend, underlining how quickly the leaderboard could shift.
Smash GC leads team competition at halfway point
Led by Gooch, Smash GC tops the team standings at 30 under par, three shots clear of Torque GC. 4Aces GC sit third at 23 under.
Course stats: scoring stays low in Riyadh
The scoring average for Round 2 was –2.11, slightly easier than the opening round.
- Toughest hole: Par-4 5th (+0.16 average)
- Easiest hole: 565-yard par-5 13th (–0.47 average)
LIV Golf Riyadh leaderboard after Round 2
T-1: Talor Gooch –10
T-1: Peter Uihlein –10
T-1: Thomas Detry –10
T-4: Jon Rahm –9
T-4: Sebastian Muñoz –9
T-4: Jason Kokrak –9
T-4: Elvis Smylie –9
T-8: Sergio Garcia –8
T-8: David Puig –8
