Robert TheodorsonLIV Golf New York has reached the halfway stage at Bedminster, and Joaquín Niemann has spent 36 holes making an awkward golf course look rather less complicated than advertised.
A second-round 65 moved the Chilean to 13-under, five shots clear of Lee Westwood, with the rather inconvenient detail for everyone behind him that he still has not made a bogey.
That tends to spoil the mood in the chasing pack.
Niemann’s numbers explain the five-shot lead
The scorecard is impressive enough. The underlying numbers are less comforting still for anyone hoping Niemann might simply cool down.
He leads the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee at +2.79 and Strokes Gained: Approach at +8.28 through two rounds. In other words, he is beating the field before the putting contest has had much opportunity to become involved.
As the all-time wins leader in LIV Golf history, Niemann is hardly exploring unfamiliar territory near the top of a leaderboard. His language, however, remained noticeably less dramatic than his golf.
“I’m just excited to go out there for the weekend and see what I can learn. I feel like there’s so much golf to play. There are so many shots to hit. I’m just excited to have the opportunity to go and see my shots, try to deliver the best I can, and go from there…”
There is plenty of golf left. There is also five shots of Niemann between everybody else and first place.
Westwood rolls back the clock at Bedminster
Lee Westwood supplied the strongest pursuit, matching Niemann’s 65 to reach 8-under and take solo second.
At 53, Westwood hardly needs reminding that difficult courses are generally best negotiated one inconvenience at a time.
“It’s a major championship style golf course,” Westwood said. “You break it down into small pieces. It just starts off with teeing it up and trying to get it in the fairway.”
His putter has done its share of the work too.
“I’m pleased with the way I’ve played, and delighted with the way I’ve putted. I’m seeing the lines and rolling the ball well, starting it right where I’m aiming a lot of the time.”
And there was satisfaction with the entire operation after two rounds:
“Yeah, pleased with the position I’m in and the way I’ve played. I’ve hit the ball good, drove it well. Not been in the rough too often and putted nicely, as well, and got up-and-down when I needed to. I’m pleased with the way things have gone over the first two days.”
Garcia joins the pursuit as the long clubs matter
Sergio Garcia also shot 65, moving to 7-under and solo third. His switch to a broomstick putter may attract the eyes, but his irons have supplied the more significant numbers: Garcia ranks second in Strokes Gained: Approach at +6.10.
The course, he suggested, leaves little room for decorative golf.
“…It’s a typical Trump property; it’s a big golf course, in immaculate shape, and a golf course that asks you to hit really good shots. Simple as that. Obviously because of the rain early in the week and stuff, there’s some par-4s that are very, very long. You have to drive it well. You have to hit a lot of good long iron shots. I’ve been able to do that for most of my two rounds…”
Tom McKibbin and Harold Varner III share fourth at 6-under after rounds of 66 and 67 respectively.
Bland finds the round everyone wanted
Richard Bland produced Friday’s lowest score, a bogey-free 64 that carried him to 5-under and a share of sixth.
“Everything really, drove the ball pretty well, hit some good irons, the chances I gave myself I pretty much took,” Bland said. “Also up and downed it a couple times when I needed to the last couple of holes, couple important up and downs there. Just trying to keep the momentum going into tomorrow, so I was happy.”
Seven under for the day will generally improve a man’s disposition.
Torque GC build their own cushion
Niemann’s individual lead has been accompanied by a sizeable advantage for Torque GC, who reached 9-under in the team competition. Abraham Ancer added a 72 and Carlos Ortiz a 71.
HyFlyers GC remain second at 4-under, helped by Scott Vincent’s 68, while Ripper GC sit third at 2-under. Westwood’s Majesticks Golf Club climbed to fourth at 1-under, with Laurie Canter contributing a 70.
Niemann also offered a revealing glimpse of the appeal he finds in the team environment:
“It’s kind of nice to have a moment to just be present with your teammates and just watch them do what they do. There’s a lot that you can learn from each other as well. It’s nice to have Abraham the way he plays, the way he maneuvers around the golf course. It’s a completely different game than I play. It’s pretty nice to see what they do and how good they are at what they do.
Then also, yeah, we’ve got a nice community between all of us and the wives and friends and the team outside the golfers. It’s really fun to be around. Even though we’re here to play and compete, it’s nice to have a moment to just have a laugh and talk and just talk about life.”
Now Bedminster needs to find a question for Niemann
Westwood has putted beautifully. Garcia’s irons are behaving. Bland has already demonstrated that a 64 exists out there for anyone sufficiently persuasive.
The difficulty is that Niemann currently requires somebody else to produce something exceptional merely to arrive within speaking distance.
Five shots can disappear quickly in tournament golf. So far at Bedminster, though, trouble has been abundant for plenty of players and conspicuously absent from Niemann’s card.
The rest are chasing a leader who, after 36 holes, appears to regard bogeys as an administrative error.
