The second round of LIV Golf Andalucia proved to be another testy 18 holes around Real Club Valderrama as first round weather conditions continued into Friday’s round two with swirling winds making one of Spain’s most infamous courses even harder yet again.
Belfast’s Tom McKibbin managed to better his first round two-over-par 73 with a 72 on Friday, as the 23-year-old had a tough spell on the front nine.
McKibbin parred the first three before things began to unravel at the fourth and fifth where the Legion XIII man made back-to-back bogeys, to take him to two-over for the day.
A quick bounce back birdie was needed and McKibbin got it at the par-3 sixth, but momentum was swiftly nulled with another bogey at the par-4 seventh. McKibbin made his final birdie of the day at the par-5 11th, a hole which he was able to conquer in Thursday’s first round, to post a one-over-par second round.
Fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell joins McKibbin on three-over after 36-holes, as the 46-year-old struggled to back up his even-par performance in Thursday’s opening round.
McDowell got off to a poor start making two bogeys in the first three holes which came at the first and the third holes to immediately put him on the back foot.
A much needed birdie came at the par-4 seventh as the Antrim man took the turn at one-over. McDowell got himself back to even-par with a birdie at the par-5 11th which set him up for an under-par finish but unfortunately for G Mac, that was far from reality.
McDowell made a double-bogey at the par-4 16th to get him back to where he stood after three holes, before adding another bogey at the par-4 18th to post a three-over-par 74 to sit T34 alongside McKibbin.
Joint leader after 18-holes, Tyrell Hatton earned a two-stroke lead in round two as the fellow Legion XIII man posted a two-under-par 69 as he looks to win his first LIV event since becoming a father.
It was a topsy turvy day for Hatton as the 34-year-old didn’t make it easy for himself, making two bogeys and a birdie on the front nine. Hatton got back to even-par after the 13th hole until a moment of brilliance at the par-5 17th shot him back to the top of the pack.
Greenside in two, Hatton putted from off the green to make eagle and to get him back to red figures as now sits at six-under-par heading into the third round.
“If you’d have said to me on Wednesday that I’d have a two-shot lead going into the weekend, I probably wouldn’t have believed you, to be honest,” Hatton said. “As I said yesterday, I feel like I had a good warm-up … I simplified a few things and just kind of went out with that feel.”
Belgium’s Thomas Detry posted a one-under-par round two to see him sit solo second place at four-under, as Talor Gooch posted a four-under second round – the joint best round of the day to join three others in T3 at three-under.
Jon Rahm also posted a four-under round to get him to the competitive side of the leaderboard as he sits T7 at two-under. Australia’s Lucas Herbert made an ace at the par-3 15th to sit T12 at one-under.
In the team leaderboard, McKibbin and Co.’s Legion XIII lead the pack at three-under-par, followed by Ripper GC and 4Aces GC who share second place at one-under.
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