Dubai-based golfer Anirban Lahiri (Ind) scored a five-under-par 66 in the second round, bringing his total to seven-under-par 135, leading by four shots in the 54-hole $25 million LIV Golf Andalucia at Real Club Valderrama, Spain.
Playing over the challenging 7,010 yards par 71 course, the 37-year-old Lahiri, representing Crushers GC, began on hole two in the shotgun start and recorded six birdies and just one bogey, tying for the best round of the day. His performance was significantly boosted by his putting, leading the field with an average of 1.28 strokes per hole and topping the scrambling stats with a 87.50% success rate.
"It really saved me today," Lahiri commented on his putter. "Valderrama makes chipping very difficult, whether you're on the fairways or the roughs. It requires a lot of skill." Regarding his strategy for the final round, he emphasized the importance of patience and a positive attitude, despite potential setbacks.
Lahiri's team, Crushers GC, also leads the Team Event at seven-under-par, supported by Captain Bryson DeChambeau, Paul Casey, and John Catlin, who replaced Charles Howell III this week due to injury. They hold a four-shot lead over the home favorites, Fireballs GC, captained by Sergio Garcia.
The final round is set to commence today (Sunday) with a shotgun start at 1.05 pm, with Lahiri in the final double-up group at 1.16 pm off tee one alongside Martin Kaymer (Cleeks GC) and Danny Lee (Iron Heads GC). For the Team Event, the first two rounds counted the best three scores out of four, while the final round will count all four scores.
