Dean Burmester and Carlos Ortiz enter this weekend at HSBC LIV Golf Hong Kong as the co-leaders. Hoping to chase them down is a player whose availability was in doubt to start the week, along with the player who helped him get to Hong Kong.
Related: Carlos Ortiz shoots 60 to lead in LIV Golf Hong Kong opening
4Aces GC’s Thomas Detry was at home in Dubai when the recent Middle East conflict began, among the group of LIV Golf players stranded after the airport was closed. Legion XIII Captain Jon Rahm helped arrange a private flight from the region for seven players and a caddie, with Detry among them.
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Detry, in his first season on LIV Golf, is now solo third after 36 holes at Hong Kong Golf Club, shooting a second-round 7-under 63 to move to 13 under, one shot behind Burmester and Ortiz. Rahm, meanwhile, shot 62 and is now solo fourth at 12 under.
“I’d better play well hopefully to be able to pay that back,” said Detry, who arrived in Hong Kong 24 hours before the start of the tournament. “That was incredibly generous from Jon with all the uncertainty.”
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It’s doubtful Rahm will be as magnanimous this weekend as he seeks to end a streak of 26 consecutive starts without a win. He’s been runner-up in his last four LIV Golf starts dating back to last season, including the first two tournaments this season in Riyadh and Adelaide.
On Friday, he shot the lowest score in the field, a round that included an eagle at the par-5 13th and ended with birdies on four of his final five holes. Of his 10 rounds this season, he’s shot 63 or better three times.
“Coming down the stretch in pressure situations, I’m going to need to play a little bit better than that or at least swing a little bit better than I have so far,” said Rahm, the two-time LIV Golf Individual Champion and current points leader. “Clearly I’m doing just good enough to be in the hunt.”
Of course, both Detry and Rahm still have work to do to catch the co-leaders, each of whom has experience in closing out LIV Golf tournaments.
Ortiz backed up his opening 10-under 60 with a rollercoaster 4-under 66 that included seven birdies and three bogeys. His best stretch was in the middle of his round when he birdied five out of eight holes to move to 14 under.
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“Kind of a rough start,” said the Torque GC star, the winner in Houston in 2024. “I wasn’t in position a lot in the first few holes. Had to scramble. I made a few bogeys. But honestly, I’m just trying to get good reps. My swing has changed a little bit and the feels have changed. I’m just getting really comfortable with the new swing.”
Burmester, playing in the same group as Ortiz, was just 1 under through his first 10 holes Friday before making four consecutive birdies. On the fourth tee, he received some treatment on his neck, which helped loosen him up. He then ended his round with a 15-foot birdie putt at the par-4 18th to grab a share of the lead with his 6-under 64.
“Today I woke up a little stiff,” said the Southern Guards star, who has won tournaments in each of the last two seasons. “I slept a bit funny, which is weird, and worked hard in the physio bed and came straight back after the wait for the first tee and managed to get my physio out there, and that made a massive difference. Got a little bit of work done on 4 tee and then I was away.”
The contenders expect the final 36 holes to require an equally aggressive mindset, with 22 players within seven shots of the lead. And while Talor Gooch’s Smash GC has a five-shot lead over Torque in the team competition, plenty of golf remains with all four scores counting in each round.
“36 holes left times four, what’s that, 144 holes?” said Smash veteran Graeme McDowell, who produced the shot of the day Friday with an ace at the 181-yard fifth hole and is now tied for 8th at 10 under. “So, there’s a lot of golf. That’s two tournaments’ worth. Four scores to count every day. It’s very volatile. Smash are up there. Riyadh and Australia, we didn’t really finish the job. Gooch is a great player. This is a good golf course for him, as well.
“Like I say, a lot of work to do this weekend, but one of the great things about LIV, it’s not just about yourself. Golf is an incredibly individual sport, but when you’re going for that sort of team victory, as well, it’s a lot of fun, and really that little extra motivation.”
