After two days of LIV Golf UK, just 18 holes stand between Individual Championship leader Joaquin Niemann and his fifth win of the season.
The Torque GC captain began the day in a three-way tie for the lead with Adrian Meronk and Branden Grace on six under, but no one could live with the Chilean on Saturday as he threatened to turn it into a procession.
Starting on the first hole, Niemann got off to a dream start with three successive birdies and by the turn, he was five under for the day after further birdies on the fifth and seventh.
Even with that blistering beginning, he didn’t have it all his own way.
While Meronk and Grace failed to capitalize on their excellent opening rounds, Lee Westwood, who was one behind the leaders at the start of the day, did.
Also beginning on the first, albeit 11 minutes earlier than Niemann, Westwood had the lead after three holes following an even more emphatic start.
The Englishman, who hails from Worksop, around 60 miles from host venue JCB Golf and Country Club, began his round with successive birdies before a spectacular hole-out for eagle from 115 yards at the monster 610-yard par-5 third.
.@WestwoodLee holes out from 115-yards for eagle 🔥He jumps to 9-under to take the solo lead 💪🇬🇧 Stream on @itvx🇺🇸 Watch on @fs1#LIVGolfUK @majesticksgc pic.twitter.com/pLjK3oe94fJuly 26, 2025
That briefly gave him the solo lead at nine under, but it was as good as it got for the 52-year-old, who made a bogey at the fourth, with further shots dropped at the seventh, eighth and 13th offset somewhat by another birdie at the ninth.
However, any hope he had of keeping in touch with Niemann was dented further with a double bogey at the 15th to leave him back at four under.
Niemann, meanwhile, ploughed on with three more birdies at the 10th, 11th and 13 to give him a six-shot advantage over nearest rival Bubba Watson.
That moved him to eight under for the day and 14 under in total, but he was pegged back on the 15th with his one bogey of the day before restoring his six-shot advantage with his ninth birdie of the day on the 18th.
Watson will begin the final round in second, no doubt wondering between now and then how to go about clawing back such a significant deficit on Niemann.
Bubba Watson begins the third round in second,…
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