LIV Golf Chicago Round 2: Dean Burmester's 65 Builds a Two-Shot Lead as Three Teams Tie at the Top

A month ago Dean Burmester finished 51st at LIV Golf Andalucía, the worst result of his LIV career. On Saturday at Bolingbrook Golf Club, the Stinger GC veteran owned the afternoon.

Burmester fired a 6-under 65 on a windy day to reach 9 under and take a two-shot lead into the final round of LIV Golf Chicago. Jon Rahm (67) and Fireballs GC rookie Josele Ballester (66) share second at 7 under, Bryson DeChambeau is alone in fourth at 6 under, and Carlos Ortiz and Paul Casey sit at 5 under. The team race could not be tighter: Crushers GC, Fireballs GC and Stinger GC are tied at 10 under with 18 holes to play.

A Back Nine to Remember

Burmester's card had one blemish, a bogey at the par-4 eighth, and then the round took off. The South African played the back nine without a dropped shot, and the heart of it was an eagle followed by three birdies, a stretch that carried him from one shot off the pace to a two-shot lead. Five birdies, an eagle and that lone bogey added up to the best round of the day, matched only by Ortiz.

The turnaround from Spain has been steady. After the Andalucía misfire, Burmester made the cut at The Open and closed with a 69, then tied for fifth at LIV Golf UK by JCB. He won LIV Golf Miami last year and now has a clear look at a second title, and he sounded relaxed about the company he will keep on Sunday. With two Spaniards alongside him in the final group, he joked that he was "going to have to brush up on my Spanish."

Rahm Finds a Gear

Rahm's round was really two rounds. The defending champion at Bolingbrook made a couple of bogeys in his first 10 holes. Then he played his final eight holes in 6 under, a burst that carried him into a tie for second.

The stakes for Rahm go well past this trophy. He is still chasing his first individual win of the season, and Joaquin Niemann, the points leader, is buried outside the top 30 after rounds of 74 and 70. A win in Chicago would put Rahm squarely in position to catch Niemann for the individual title at the Indianapolis finale next week.

The Kid From Fireballs

Ballester, the 2024 U.S. Amateur champion, is playing only his fifth LIV event and his seventh tournament as a professional. Nobody told him to be nervous. An eagle powered a 5-under 66, and on Sunday he gets the final group with a two-time major champion and the 54-hole leader.

It is a real arrival moment. Ballester closed with a 67 at Valderrama, then tied for seventh in England to climb to 42nd in the points race and into the Open Zone, and the 21-year-old now has a shot at a win in just his seventh start as a pro.

Three Teams, One Number

With all four scores counting, the team board turned into a logjam. Crushers GC posted the best team round of the day at 7 under, with Casey's 67, 68s from DeChambeau and Anirban Lahiri, and a 74 from Charles Howell III. Fireballs GC shot 5 under behind Ballester, with David Puig adding 69, while Sergio Garcia slid back with a 73 after sharing the first-round lead.

Stinger GC shot 4 under, carried by Burmester. Branden Grace added a 70, Charl Schwartzel a 71 and captain Louis Oosthuizen a 74. The Stingers have not won a team event since LIV Golf Tulsa in 2023, a stretch of 31 tournaments, and the four South Africans are sharing a house this week just as they did in Tulsa. "It could be a good omen for us," Burmester said.

Torque GC is the closest pursuer at 5 under after a 6-under team round led by Ortiz's 65. 4Aces GC is at 4 under after Dustin Johnson, the other first-round co-leader, also shot 73. Legion XIII is at 1 under. Crushers won the team title here last year, which only adds to the tension.

Movers and Fallers

The course gave a little more on Saturday, with the field averaging 0.22 under par after playing 0.41 over on Friday. Anthony Kim was the most dramatic mover, following an 82 with a 68, a 14-shot improvement. Phil Mickelson held on at 3 under after a 71, and Talor Gooch and Richard Bland moved to 4 under with rounds of 69 and 68.

Smash GC went the wrong way. Brooks Koepka, one off the lead after Friday, shot 76, and the team dropped to 3 over. At the bottom, HyFlyers GC (4 over), Cleeks GC (9 over), Iron Heads GC (11 over) and Majesticks GC (14 over) are all running out of time.

Sunday's Setup

Burmester has a two-shot cushion and a bogey-free back nine fresh in his memory. Rahm has momentum and a season-long title in his sights. Ballester has nothing to lose. And three teams sit on the same number, with Torque GC lurking. One more round decides it all.

Catch up on the Undrafted Round 1 recap, and find full details in the LIV Golf Round 2 recap (opens in a new tab).

Sources: LIV Golf (Round 2 recap), Field Level Media, Fox Sports, Golf Magic, Business Today. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: LIV Golf.