LIV Golf UK Round 2: Joaquin Niemann Fires 63 and Opens a Six-Shot Lead

A week ago Joaquin Niemann was walking off Royal Portrush after a missed cut. On Saturday at JCB Golf & Country Club, he turned the second round of LIV Golf UK by JCB into a statement.

The Torque GC captain fired an 8-under 63, the low round of the day and one shot off the course record, to reach 14 under and open a six-shot lead with 18 holes to play. Bubba Watson is alone in second at 8 under, Paul Casey, Caleb Surratt and Adrian Meronk share third at 7 under, and Torque GC sits on top of the team board at 24 under, three clear of Legion XIII.

Thirty Going Out

Niemann did the damage early, opening with three straight birdies and covering the front nine in 30, per FOX Sports. From there the round became an exercise in keeping the foot on the gas: nine birdies in all, with a lone bogey at the 15th, per Golf Monthly. By the end of the day he had hit all 18 greens in regulation, after missing just two on Friday, and he led the field in both driving distance and greens hit, according to LIV Golf.

That is a frightening combination on a day when JCB fought back. The course played to a scoring average of 0.36 under par on Saturday, down from 1.27 under on Friday, with the 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th holes joining the closing stretch from 15 through 18 above par.

The putter, which LIV Golf noted had been a soft spot in recent weeks, also showed up. Hit every green, start rolling them in, and a six-shot lead is what comes out the other end. It helps that he likes the look of the place: Niemann tied for second at JCB a year ago, per Reuters.

A New Bag, Same Result

The backdrop makes the round even more striking. After missing the cut at The Open, Niemann split with both his caddie and his coach ahead of this week. Two rounds in, there is no sign of any growing pains. Niemann credited the people around him for keeping the talk positive, and said afterward that his focus was simply on the round in front of him and enjoying it.

A win on Sunday would be his fifth of the LIV season, following LIV Golf Adelaide, LIV Golf Singapore, Mexico City and Virginia, and his seventh LIV title overall. Both would be league records. It would also stretch his lead in the individual standings toward 50 points with the regular season nearly done.

The Chasers Concede the Obvious

Bubba Watson, the RangeGoats GC captain, backed up his opening 66 with a 68 and sits alone in second, but even he was candid about the size of the gap, saying the event was Niemann's to win as things stand. Casey, the leading Englishman after a 68, went further, praising the level of golf it takes to open up that kind of margin on this course.

Surratt, the youngest player in the league, posted a 68 to stay in the hunt at 7 under. Meronk cooled off with a 70 after his Friday 65, but the Cleeks GC man remains part of the group in third. One more shot back at 6 under is a crowd that includes Talor Gooch, who fired a 66, plus Charles Howell III, Tom McKibbin, Carlos Ortiz and Marc Leishman.

Not everyone held on. Branden Grace, one of Friday's co-leaders, slid back with a 74. Lee Westwood had the crowd roaring early when he holed out from 115 yards for eagle at the third and briefly reached 9 under, but a double bogey at the 15th helped send him to a 72 and back to 4 under.

Torque Takes Over

The team race flipped on Saturday. Torque GC posted 13 under for the day, the best team score of the round, with Niemann's 63 backed by a 66 from Sebastian Munoz, a 70 from Ortiz and a 72 from Mito Pereira. That leaves them at 24 under with one round to go.

Legion XIII is the obvious threat. Jon Rahm found something with a 67 after his even-par opener, McKibbin and Surratt each shot 68, and Tyrrell Hatton added a 71 for a 10-under round that leaves them at 21 under, three back. Crushers GC jumped to third at 14 under on the strength of a 9-under day, with Casey and Howell at 68 and Bryson DeChambeau at 69. Ripper GC is fourth at 13 under and Fireballs GC fifth at 12 under after Abraham Ancer's 67 anchored a 9-under round.

Rough Day for Some

Stinger GC went from a share of the lead to a tie for seventh after a 2-over team round. The Majesticks fared worse at 3 over for the day, with Sam Horsfield's 75 the biggest blow, dropping the home favorites to ninth.

RangeGoats GC had the strangest scorecard of all. Watson is second individually, yet the team sits 12th at 5 over after Matthew Wolff shot 78 and Ben Campbell and Peter Uihlein each signed for 74. Iron Heads GC had an even tougher day at 13 over for the round.

Eighteen to Go

Six shots with 18 holes left is the kind of lead that usually only goes away if the leader gives it away, and Niemann has spent this entire season showing no interest in doing that. The real drama on Sunday may be in the team event, where Torque and Legion XIII are separated by three shots and Crushers lurk 10 back.

Catch up on Round 1 at JCB, and see the official LIV Golf Round 2 recap (opens in a new tab) for full scoring.

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

Photo: LIV Golf.