South African Dean Burmester will take a two-stroke lead heading into Sunday’s final round at LIV Golf Chicago. He’ll be playing in the final group with Jon Rahm, a two-time major winner and reigning LIV Golf Individual Champion, and Josele Ballester, the super-talented 21-year-old who turned pro in June to join LIV Golf. Both are from Spain.
Related: Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson share early lead in Chicago
“Going to have to brush up on my Spanish,” smiled Burmester after finishing off a brilliant 6-under 65 that moved him to 9 under through two rounds at Bolingbrook Golf Club.
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Rahm, the Legion XIII captain, not only is intent on capturing his first individual win of the season, he’s also trying to overtake Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann in the individual standings going into next week’s regular-season finale in Indianapolis. Niemann, tied for 39th through two rounds, has opened the door.
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“No matter if I win, I’m going to have a real possibility of catching him and possibly passing him next week,” said Rahm after shooting a 4-under 67 to move to 7 under. Rahm bounced back from a couple of bogeys in his first 10 holes to shoot 6 under in his final eight holes. “Score-wise, it’s almost a tale of two nines,” he said, “but feeling-wise felt great all day.”
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Ballester, meanwhile, would love to make an early statement in his career. He’s playing just his fifth LIV Golf event and seventh overall since turning pro after a stellar amateur career that included winning the 2024 U.S. Amateur.
After a brief transition period, he has found his form as a member of Fireballs GC. He followed a final-round 67 at Valderrama with a tie for seventh at the UK event to move into the Open Zone at 42nd in points. A win on Sunday would move him within striking distance of the Lock Zone.
“These are the moments that I practice for so much in my career, and being able to lift my first one tomorrow, it would be pretty fun,” said Ballester after shooting 66.
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Burmester, seeking his second career LIV Golf victory after winning last year in Miami, is just as motivated.
It was just a month ago that the Stinger GC star finished 51st at LIV Golf Andalucía, the worst result in his LIV Golf career and the “lowest point of the season,” he said. Since then, he has increased his efforts to lose a few pounds to avoid feeling fatigued at the end of rounds.
His efforts have paid quick dividends. He made the cut the following week at The Open, finishing with a final-round 69. He followed with a tie for fifth at LIV Golf UK by JCB. And now he has the 36-hole lead at Bolingbrook.
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His second round was an example of his improved fitness, as he grabbed the lead thanks to a bogey-free back-nine stretch that included an eagle followed by three birdies.
“I feel better about how I look and how I feel, the whole vibe around how I walk around the golf course,” he said.
Burmester’s Stinger GC team is also in the mix for its first team title in two years. The South Africans are tied with the Fireballs and Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC – who won at Bolingbrook last year – at 10 under. Niemann’s Torque team is five shots back in solo fourth.
The last time the Stingers won a team title was 2023 LIV Golf Tulsa. That week, they all stayed in the same house – and they haven’t done that again until this week in Chicago.
“It could be a good omen for us,” Burmester said.
