TOP OF THE LEADERBOARDS
Individual Top 10
T1 (-10) – Talor Gooch, Smash (67-67), Peter Uihlein, RangeGoats (65-69), Thomas Detry, 4Aces (65-69)
T4 (-9) – Jon Rahm, Legion XIII (67-68), Sebastián Muñoz, Torque (67-68), Jason Kokrak, Smash (71-64), Elvis Smylie, Ripper (66-69)
T8 (-8) – Sergio Garcia, Fireballs (68-68), David Puig, Fireballs (69-67)
T10 (-7) – Byeong Hun An, Korean (67-70), Yosuke Asaji, wild card (68-69), Abraham Ancer, Torque (68-69)
Team Top 3
1 (-30) – Smash GC (Kokrak 64, McDowell 66, Gooch 67, Varner III 71; Rd. 2 score: -20)
2 (-27) – Torque GC (Muñoz 68, Ancer 69, Niemann 69, Ortiz 70; Rd. 2 score: -12)
3 (-23) – 4Aces GC (Johnson 67, Pieters 68, Detry 69, Tabuena 71; Rd. 2 score: -13)
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ROUND 2 NOTES
NIGHT AND DAY: Torque GC’s Sebastian Munoz is making his fourth start at Riyadh Golf Club. Last year under the lights, he tied for second, and now this year he’s in contention through two rounds after his 4-under 68 leaves him tied for fourth at 9 under.
The other two starts were during the daytime at the PIF Saudi International. He finished T50 and T42. In other words, nowhere close to the lead.
“Funny thing,” said Muñoz, who won LIV Golf’s last 54-hole tournament last August at LIV Golf Indianapolis, a memorable event in which he shot an opening 59 with 14 birdies. “I was thinking about it today when I was playing, and I was just thankful that I was playing better at night than during the day. But I don’t know why. I haven’t had an idea. I feel like at night, it challenges you in a different way, probably in a new way for everyone, from your visuals.
“I feel like just focusing on what I can control has helped me a lot in these five rounds at night, and hopefully I can make it seven.”
NEAR-ACE FOR GOOCH: Talor Gooch’s tee shot at the par-3 17th appeared headed into the cup before lipping out, leaving him with a tap-in birdie that enabled him to grab a share of the lead.
“From the tee, it’s kind of hard to see,” Gooch said. “I knew it was good, and then it looked like it ricochetted off the pin. But then I saw the replay and I was like, ‘Give me a break, go in, ball. Come on.’
“It was a great shot. I had a hole-in-one about two weeks ago. It was my first hole-in-one since 2015. So, I don’t know if that means I’m done for another 10 years or if the floodgates have opened.”
His Smash teammate Jason Kokrak, sitting alongside Gooch, then asked how many career aces his captain had.
“I only have three,” Gooch replied.
Kokrak was then asked how many he had.
“11,” he replied.
Joked Gooch: “That why I said, ‘only.’ I knew he was going to have a lot.”