LIV Golf Riyadh Round 2: Talor Gooch Joins a Three-Way Tie as Smash GC Takes Over

Talor Gooch has a favorite number, and on Thursday night in Riyadh the Smash GC captain hit it again.

Gooch followed an opening 67 with another 67 at Riyadh Golf Club to join first-round leaders Thomas Detry and Peter Uihlein in a three-way tie at 10 under through 36 holes of LIV Golf Riyadh. Jason Kokrak fired a bogey-free 64, the best round of the week so far, to sit one back with Jon Rahm, Sebastián Muñoz and Elvis Smylie. Behind those two Smash GC scores, Gooch's team jumped from a tie for fourth into a three-shot lead in the team competition.

The Rule of 67

Gooch plays by a simple target known as the rule of 67: post that number every day and let the leaderboard sort itself out. Two rounds into the first 72-hole season in league history, the plan is working exactly as drawn up. Thursday's version came with six birdies, four of them on the front nine, against a single bogey, a three-putt from about 15 feet.

The captaincy is new. The résumé is not. Gooch has four individual titles plus the 2023 Individual Championship, all won in the old 54-hole format, and Gooch's haul of 13 LIV Golf trophies is level with Rahm for the most in league history. Gooch was quick to point out that the job is only half done.

Kokrak's Statement

The round of the night belonged to Kokrak. After an opening 71 left Kokrak well off the pace, the Smash GC veteran went around in 64 without a bogey, an 8-under jump into a tie for fourth. Kokrak described it as a nine- or 10-hole stretch where everything got hot. Kokrak gave the credit for the team's start to the new man in charge, saying Gooch has been a great captain so far and leads by example.

Graeme McDowell added a 66 for Smash, and suddenly a team that had not looked like the favorite on Wednesday has three players trending the right way at once.

Detry and Uihlein Hold On

The two first-round leaders did not get away, but they did not go backward either. Detry and Uihlein each signed for 69, with five birdies and two bogeys apiece, which on a night when the field averaged 2.11 under par counts as treading water. Conditions turned cooler and windier as the round went on, and Detry steadied an uneven start with birdies at the fourth and fifth.

Uihlein's round turned late. A rough patch earlier in the round meant some scrambling, but three birdies in a five-hole stretch from the 13th through the 17th restored a share of the lead. The RangeGoats GC veteran, still chasing a first individual LIV win after 51 starts, was blunt that the individual title is what matters most this week, with RangeGoats sitting 11th in the team standings.

Detry, a year removed from his WM Phoenix Open win on the PGA TOUR, is two rounds into his LIV career and still on top. "I like to make statements," the Belgian said.

The Chase Gets Crowded

Nine players are within two shots of the lead, and the names in that group carry weight. Rahm shot 68 for Legion XIII and sits one back, which is a familiar address for a two-time individual champion. Muñoz, who won the most recent individual LIV event in Indianapolis last August, also shot 68 and stayed patient when the wind picked up late.

Smylie did not fade after his eye-catching debut. The Ripper GC rookie followed his 66 with a 69 to stay one back, and Ripper as a team made up ground with a 13-under round. Fireballs GC pair Sergio Garcia and David Puig are tied for eighth at 8 under, two off the lead.

The fifth hole was the toughest on the course for a second straight night, again playing over par.

Smash Takes Over the Team Race

All four scores count in every round this season, which makes a 20-under team round a serious separator. Gooch's 67, Kokrak's 64 and McDowell's 66 did most of the work, and Harold Varner III added a 71 as Smash moved to 30 under.

Torque GC, Wednesday's leader, is second at 27 under after a 12-under round. 4Aces GC is third at 23 under, with Detry's 69 and a 67 from captain Dustin Johnson. Legion XIII sits fourth at 22 under, one ahead of Ripper at 21 under.

The biggest slide belonged to Southern Guards GC. Second after the opening round, the South African side managed only 2 under on Thursday and dropped to eighth at 15 under.

Halfway Home

There is no cut in this format and 36 holes still to play, which is the whole point of the change. Under the old 54-hole rules, Friday would have been the finish. Instead the leaders have two more full nights to cover, and with Official World Golf Ranking points on offer for the top 10 and ties for the first time, a lot of players have a lot more to play for than prize money.

Three co-leaders, four players a shot behind and a team race led by a first-week captain. Friday is moving day, now with an actual Saturday behind it.

Catch up on our Round 1 recap, and see the full second-round story in the LIV Golf Round 2 recap (opens in a new tab).

Sources: LIV Golf (Round 2 recap), Arab News, FOX Sports, Field Level Media, Compleat Golfer, Golf News Net. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: Pedro Salado/LIV Golf.