By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Jon Rahm will enter the final round in a strong position to earn his first individual LIV Golf victory since 2024. The Legion XIII captain carded a 5-under 65 Saturday to climb into a three-way tie for the lead at 17 under with the final round set Sunday at the HSBC LIV Golf Hong Kong.
For Rahm to claim a win at Greater China’s oldest championship course, he’ll need to outduel the very man he helped make his way to Hong Kong Golf Club – 4Aces GC’s Thomas Detry. The Belgian, despite arriving late after being stranded in Dubai, has shown no signs of rust, shooting a 4-under 66 to also join the final group of co-leaders.
Rahm helped to organize a private charter from the Middle East for seven LIV Golf players – including Detry, as well as Rahm’s Legion XIII teammates Caleb Surratt and Tom McKibbin – who were stranded when the recent conflict closed the airport in Dubai. He was happy to do so, even if he now has to outduel Detry for the title.
Rahm and Detry aren’t alone at the top, as Smash GC’s Harold Varner fired a 7-under 63 to vault himself into a share of the lead. Varner III ranks second for the week in Strokes Gained Approach (+7.50) and first in Strokes Gained Off the Tee on the par 3s.
Varner III, flashing his signature grin, summed up his love for the par 3s perfectly: “Yeah, it’s nice. Par 3s, you get to start from the fairway, so it’s great.”
The 36-hole co-leader, Carlos Ortiz, had an up-and-down day. The Torque GC veteran made the turn at even par after bogeys on holes eight and nine before rebounding nicely with four birdies in his first five holes on the back nine to briefly climb back to 17 under before missing short par putts on holes 16 and 18 to fall two adrift of the lead.
Southern Guards GC’s Dean Burmester shared the co-lead with Ortiz entering Saturday but failed to keep up with the scoring, posting a bogey-free 1-under 69 to reach the clubhouse at 15 under, two shots back of the lead with Ortiz and 4Aces GC’s Thomas Pieters, who had the round of the day with a 9-under 61.
“I’m gutted,” Burmester admitted after the round. “I don’t feel like I did too much wrong, honestly. Maybe tried a little too hard. I don’t know. I hit some amazing golf shots out there. I hit some poor ones, probably on the wrong holes. Hit some great shots. I went bogey-free. Just didn’t make any putts. Got to find a way to lift myself up tomorrow and give it a go.”
Smash GC clings to a narrow two-stroke team lead, powered by Varner III’s scorching round, but with six teams lurking within six strokes, that gap could be eliminated in just a few holes. Expect an exhilarating shootout on Sunday’s team leaderboard.