LIV Golf Indianapolis Round 2: Dustin Johnson Catches Sebastián Muñoz as Rahm Keeps the Title Race Alive

Twenty-four hours after a 59, Sebastián Muñoz found out how quickly a seven-shot cushion can turn into company.

The Torque GC player shot 4-under 67 on Saturday at The Club at Chatham Hills and shares the 36-hole lead of LIV Golf Indianapolis at 16 under with Dustin Johnson, who shot 64. The two are four shots clear of a six-man logjam at 12 under that includes Muñoz's captain Joaquin Niemann, Adrian Meronk, Thomas Pieters, David Puig, Patrick Reed and Henrik Stenson. Jon Rahm lurks one shot further back after a 64, which sets up a Sunday that will decide both this tournament and the season-long Individual Championship. In the team race, Torque GC leads 4Aces GC by three.

A Lead That Leaked

For seven holes, Saturday looked like a coronation. Muñoz birdied his first four holes and six of his first seven, and at one point he led the tournament by seven. Then the round sprang leaks. He missed a 3-foot birdie chance at the ninth, bogeyed the 10th, made four straight pars, and bogeyed the 15th. Birdies at the 16th and 17th steadied him before a double bogey at the last cost him the outright lead.

Muñoz kept his explanation short and honest. "Misjudgment of speed on 10 and then a really bad lie on 15 and unfortunately a bad swing on 18," he said. Even with the late damage, the Colombian is 16 under through 36 holes in a week that has already put him in the LIV record book.

Johnson Grinds His Way Level

Johnson's round went the opposite direction. The 4Aces GC captain opened with six straight pars while Muñoz was sprinting away, and at one point he was seven back. Then he caught fire with six birdies in an eight-hole run, shot 32 on each nine and never made a bogey. His 64 gave him a 36-hole total of 16-under 126 on the par-71 course, the best 36-hole mark of his LIV career according to LIV Golf.

It has been a quiet season by his standards, which is what makes this weekend interesting. Johnson acknowledged he has not had many chances this year and said he is looking forward to Sunday. A two-time major champion in a share of the lead with 18 holes to play is not a bad way to end a regular season that gave him little.

Rahm Keeps the Title Alive

The Individual Championship stays open because Rahm refused to let it close. The defending champion birdied four of his last five holes for a 64 and sits at 11 under, one shot behind Niemann, who shot 5-under 66 and is part of the group at 12 under. Niemann is a five-time winner this season and still leads the points race, but Rahm's path is clear enough: finish higher than Niemann, and depending on how the rest of the board shakes out, he may need to win the tournament outright.

They play together again on Sunday. Rahm knows the size of the job. "I'm going to need a Sebastián-esque round to give myself a chance to win and hopefully take it all," he said. Niemann kept it simpler, saying only that he was looking forward to tomorrow.

The Movers

Saturday's best scoring came in bunches. Meronk, Puig, Charles Howell III and Torque's Carlos Ortiz all shot 63, and Meronk's round, built on eagles at the seventh and 13th, vaulted the Cleeks GC star from a 67 on Friday into the tie for third. Branden Grace of Stinger GC and Bubba Watson of RangeGoats GC share ninth with Rahm at 11 under.

Stenson's 64 might be the most meaningful of the lot. The Majesticks GC co-captain is tied for third and, per LIV Golf's projections, would climb to 39th in the season standings, safely out of the Drop Zone, where players ranked 49th or below lose their spots. His co-captains are in a tougher place: Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter are both currently projected to be relegated. Stenson did not dress it up, admitting it has been a bad season for the team and the individuals. Andy Ogletree of HyFlyers GC also helped his cause with a 65.

Team Race: Torque Clings On

Torque GC added 16 under on Saturday and sits at 39 under, three ahead of 4Aces GC, which posted 17 under and is at 36 under. Crushers GC also shot 17 under and is third at 31 under. The day's best team round belonged to Majesticks GC, a 20-under effort that lifted the team to fourth at 29 under, and if the projections hold, it would finish 11th in the season standings and avoid the Wednesday play-in before the Team Championship in Michigan.

Fireballs GC is fifth at 26 under, Legion XIII and HyFlyers GC share sixth at 25 under, and Stinger GC is eighth at 22 under. Ripper GC had the roughest day of anyone, an even-par team round that dropped it to 12th at 8 under, just ahead of Cleeks GC at 7 under.

Sunday's Stakes

Everything is still on the table. Muñoz and Johnson share the lead with the field four shots back, Niemann and Rahm will chase each other as much as the leaders, and Torque GC has a three-shot edge over Johnson's 4Aces GC in the team race. One more round decides the tournament, the Individual Championship and the final order heading into Michigan.

Catch up on Friday's Round 1 recap. Full second-round details are in the LIV Golf Round 2 recap (opens in a new tab).

Sources: LIV Golf (Round 2 recap), Reuters via Arab News, Golf Magic. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: LIV Golf.