Tom McKibbin and Graeme McDowell both carded opening rounds of three-under in the PIF Saudi International, and they followed them up with respective rounds of 67 and 68 to safely make their way into the final two rounds.
McKibbin, playing his fourth tournament in as many weeks after competing in both of the DP World Tour Playoff events in the UAE following his victory in the Asian Tour’s Hong Kong Open, was playing alongside two-time Saudi International champion, Dustin Johnson, and the defending champion, Joaquin Niemann, and was once again the standout performer of the trio as both Johnson and Niemann found themselves the wrong side of the cutline.
The soon-to-be 23-year-old began round two on the back nine, and after carding five straight pars, burst into life to birdie three of the final four holes and make the turn at six-under.
Another pair of back-to-back birdies on three and four took him to within striking distance of the early lead in round two, but a bogey on the par-3 sixth – his only missed green of the round – halted the momentum and though he’d have birdie putts on each of the last three greens, he couldn’t add to his tally and ended the day tied for 19th at -7.
McDowell, whose last professional victory came in Saudi Arabia, albeit at Royal Greens Golf Club, back in 2020, was playing in the late wave in round two and covered the front nine in two-under thanks to birdies on the par-5 second and par-4 seventh.
It was a little more scrappy on the back nine, as he three-putted the 10th and made bogey, then had to get up-and-down to save par on 11. He got back on the birdie train on the par-5 12th, and then followed with another on 13, but bogeyed the par-3 14th after missing the green. A regulation birdie on 18 was an ideal way to sign off, however, and he finds himself tied for 28th going into the final 36 holes.
McKibbin’s Legion XIII teammate, Caleb Surratt birdied the 18th to take a one-shot lead at the halfway mark.
He carded a five-under-par 66 to lead on 14-under from Thomas Pieters from Belgium in second place.
Pieters also shot a 66, while American Anthony Kim rolled back the years, shooting a 64 to move into third, another two strokes back, along with England’s Tyrrell Hatton and Spaniard Josele Ballester – both in with 65s.
South African Dean Burmester (63) and Adrian Meronk (70) from Poland are a further stroke behind in a tie for sixth along with Seungbin Choi of Korea (66). Meronk was the joint first-round leader with Surratt – in the final event of the season on The International Series, and the third from last stop on the Asian Tour calendar.
Surratt was beaten by Niemann in a sudden-death playoff last year and has clearly returned seeking redemption.
The 21-year-old reached the front edge of the green on the short par-four 18th from the tee and got up and down to edge Pieters for the halfway lead. He made two birdies on the front and three on back and was bogey free.
“Very pleased. It was a good day,” said the American, who plays for Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team on LIV Golf.
“You know, I think some of the hardest rounds in golf are honestly ones that have to follow up great ones, so to go out there today, kind of fight my thoughts at times, getting ahead of myself, I was still able to play well. That was good that I showed that to myself, and hopefully use this same momentum.”
He is without a win since turning professional last year but has finished second twice in International Series events and third once.
“It is a great leaderboard. Be good to see how it shakes out next few days,” he said.
Pieters, who plays for 4Aces GC on LIV Golf, last won in 2022 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship – one of his six titles on the DP World Tour. This year he has recorded his two best finishes on LIV Golf, finishing joint fourth in both Korea and Virginia.
“Pretty similar to yesterday,” he said of his round today. “Played really well. I made loads of 10 to 15 footers. Only difference is I missed a couple shorter ones. Overall, super happy, obviously. Yeah, just really looking forward to the weekend and I enjoy this golf course a lot.”
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