Adrian Meronk (Cleeks GC) from Dubai fired a second round score of 69, three under par, to share the lead at 10 under par in the $25 million 54-hole LIV Golf Houston tournament. Meronk is tied at the summit with David Puig (68, 66), Carlos Ortiz (66, 68), and Paul Casey (67, 67). After his initial round 65, Meronk began his second round with a bogey on the first hole but quickly recovered with a birdie on the second. He experienced another bogey-birdie sequence on holes 5 and 6. Meronk then stabilized his game with additional birdies on holes 8, 11, and 12, maintaining par for the rest to keep his position at the top of the leaderboard.
Meronk, who joined LIV Golf shortly before the season commenced, commented, "Played quite solid. Could have been much lower. Missed a couple of putts coming down the stretch. But still pretty pleased with my round and my position going into Sunday." In the Team Event, Fireballs GC tops the standings at 26 under par after the first two rounds, leading Torque GC by four shots. A three-way tie for third place at 21 under par includes Crushers GC, 4Aces GC, and Cleeks GC.
Meronk also discussed his team's performance, stating, "I think you can see the progress from the beginning of the year. Hopefully, we can lift the trophy soon. The chemistry and level of play – it’s progressing week to week. We can just hope to play well tomorrow. It’s going to be exciting." The final round of LIV Golf’s Team events will count all four scores from each team, keeping many teams in contention.
Dubai-based Anirban Lahiri (Crushers GC) is tied for 13th after rounds of 69. Both Jon Rahm and Louis Oosthuizen have withdrawn due to injuries and have been replaced by reserve players Ben Campbell and Wade Ormsby, respectively. Rahm played six holes with an infection in his left foot, while Oosthuizen withdrew before the second round due to a lower back injury. Ormsby scored a round of 73, which counted for Stinger GC's second-round score.
The final round commences with a 12.05 pm shotgun start today (Sunday), with Meronk, Ortiz, and Puig teeing off at 12.15 pm from Tee 1B. For more information, visit www.LIVGolf.com.
Leading Second Round Scores (Par 72): Individual Event - A. Meronk (Cleeks GC) 65, 69, 134; D. Puig (Fireballs GC) 68, 66, 134; C. Ortiz (Torque GC) 66, 68, 134; P. Casey (Crushers GC) 67, 67, 134; P. Reed (4Aces) 67, 68, 135. Team Event (Best three scores from the Team of four) - Fireballs GC -26; Torque GC -22; Crushers GC -21; 4Aces GC -21; Cleeks GC -21.
