Robert TheodorsonLIV Golf UK has a clear halfway leader after Lucas Herbert reached 17 under through 36 holes at JCB Golf & Country Club, four shots ahead of Bryson DeChambeau and seven clear of Tyrrell Hatton.
The Australian followed his opening 61 with a six-under 66, replacing Thursday’s near-flawless golf with something arguably more useful: the ability to recover when the round became awkward.
It was not another procession of obedient drives and obliging putts. Herbert had to manage the peculiar frustration that follows an extraordinary opening round, when perfectly respectable golf suddenly feels like a minor administrative failure.
Lucas Herbert leads LIV Golf UK after 36 holes
Herbert leads LIV Golf UK on 17 under after rounds of 61 and 66. DeChambeau is second on 13 under following a five-under 67, while Hatton occupies third place on 10 under. Byeong Hun An and Harold Varner III share fourth on nine under.
The danger after shooting 61 is that the next round begins with an unreasonable standard attached to it. Pars become disappointments, missed birdie putts appear personally insulting and an ordinary stretch of holes can feel like the game has quietly removed the batteries from your putter.
Herbert recognised the trap.
“If you hadn’t played that round yesterday, you wouldn’t have been too upset, concerned with it,” he said. “When you were 7-under through 10 the day before and then you’re trying to hole a 10-footer to stay 1-under 10, it feels like you’re playing a lot worse. I just try to keep perspective on it. I still played decent.”
That final sentence qualifies as considerable understatement. A 66 in the second round of a tournament is normally accepted without complaint, perhaps followed by a pleasant dinner. It only looked modest because Herbert had spent the previous day treating the course as though it had misplaced several hazards.
More significant than the raw score was the direction of the round. Herbert steadied himself on the back nine rather than allowing one mistake to attract several of its friends.
“You talk about momentum, I was able to build momentum on the back nine rather than every time I have a birdie, I tend to shoot myself in the foot on that front side,” he said.
That change matters heading into the weekend. Low scoring can establish a lead, but managing the untidy spells is usually what protects one.
Bryson DeChambeau remains close enough to matter
DeChambeau signed for a five-under 67 to move to 13 under and sole possession of second place. The Crushers GC captain lost one shot of ground to Herbert during the round, but a four-stroke deficit with 36 holes remaining is hardly a request for emergency assistance.
Herbert was reluctant to reduce the contest to two players, even with DeChambeau occupying the nearest piece of leaderboard.
“I think Bryson will have a bit of a job to do to make sure that it is a two-horse race,” he said. “We’re only halfway. We have a lot of golf to go, but I know I would love to make it a two-horse race with Bryson on Sunday, or maybe a one-horse race if I can.”
It is the correct public answer and probably the correct private one. Golf leads are sturdy only until the first pulled drive, three-putt or suddenly inspired opponent. Herbert has room, but not enough to spend the weekend admiring it.
The presence of DeChambeau has also added to the size and volume of the galleries following the leading groups.
“There’s a lot of fans out there watching our group, which was pretty awesome. It’s a privilege to have him out here on the tour because he’s bringing a lot of eyeballs and a lot of fans, which we love doing around the world.”
DeChambeau, meanwhile, reflected on how competing in different environments has broadened his golfing education.
“I feel like, if anything, it’s made me a more well-rounded golfer and given me the ability to learn in different situations because I wasn’t fortunate to have that as a kid. I played in my area, and that’s it. I didn’t have the ability to go travel nor the money to go travel. I feel like this has given me a bit of a step up and leg up in my golf experience. Hopefully I can translate that to future years.”
At LIV Golf UK, the immediate lesson is straightforward enough: Herbert has set the pace, and DeChambeau must find a way of making the leader feel his footsteps.
Tyrrell Hatton carries the home challenge
Hatton backed up his opening 66 with a four-under 68, reaching 10 under and taking sole possession of third place.
His score has been assembled despite some uncertainty on the greens, particularly when faced with putts moving from left to right.
“I’ve been struggling with left-to-right putts this week. Feels like the ball’s just slipping off the face. So I’m not really hitting the line I want to,” he said.
Hatton admitted he was surprised to see one such putt fall at the ninth. Golf occasionally rewards a stroke before the player has finished objecting to it.
The rest of his game has been sufficiently sharp to keep him clear of the group immediately behind. Hatton starts the third round three shots behind DeChambeau, seven behind Herbert and one ahead of An and Varner.
The galleries have supplied their customary backing.
“…It’s always nice to play in front of home fans. The crowd have been great so far. Always get lots of support, which is really nice.”
Hatton also offered an encouraging assessment of Legion XIII teammate Caleb Surratt, who reached seven under after a second-round 69.
“I know he changed coaches earlier this year. It looks like he’s been working on some good things. He’s a great player, and he’s got a lot of potential. I imagine he’ll go from strength to strength.”
Behind the leading three, An and Varner share fourth at nine under. Cameron Smith, Peter Uihlein, Marc Leishman and Dean Burmester are another shot back.
Burmester produced the sharpest second round among that group with a 66. Smith and Uihlein each returned 67, while Leishman added a second consecutive 68.
Surratt and Lahiri sit on seven under, ten strokes behind Herbert. That is a sizeable weekend assignment, although team scoring gives both players another reason to keep pressing.
Ripper GC builds a commanding team lead
Herbert’s individual advantage has been accompanied by an imposing Ripper GC performance. The team leads on 37 under after two rounds, nine strokes clear of Crushers GC.
Smith’s 67 and Leishman’s 68 supported Herbert’s 66, while Travis Smyth returned a 69. With three Ripper players inside the individual top six, the team lead is not being carried by Herbert alone, although he is carrying a fairly substantial portion of the luggage.
Crushers GC holds second on 28 under, led by DeChambeau and supported by Lahiri, Charles Howell III and Paul Casey.
Legion XIII is third on 19 under through the work of Hatton and Surratt, with Jon Rahm and Tom McKibbin completing the line-up.
Southern Guards GC occupies fourth on 12 under, helped considerably by Burmester’s 66. Majesticks Golf Club, playing with the backing of the home galleries, is fifth on nine under.
A lead built on more than one exceptional round
Herbert’s opening 61 placed him in command. His second-round 66 may reveal more about his prospects of staying there.
The golf was less effortless, the comparison with Thursday was unhelpful and DeChambeau remained visible on the leaderboard. Herbert nevertheless found a productive back nine and avoided the self-inflicted damage he openly acknowledged has troubled previous rounds.
He now has the sort of lead that permits calm but not comfort. DeChambeau remains close enough to turn one loose swing into a proper argument, while Hatton has a home crowd ready to make every holed putt sound more consequential than it is.
Herbert’s weekend task is less glamorous and rather more difficult than shooting another 61: keep doing the sensible things while everybody behind him starts reaching for the spectacular.
