ROCESTER, ENGLAND (WVDN) – Lucas Herbert cannot be stopped right now. The Ripper GC star followed his record-setting opening 61 with a 6-under 66 in the second round of LIV Golf UK Presented by JCB 2026, extending his individual score to 17-under through 36 holes. It wasn’t quite the flawless golf of Thursday, but Herbert was candid about keeping perspective on a day that would have looked excellent by any other measure.
“If you hadn’t played that round yesterday, you wouldn’t have been too upset, concerned with it,” he said. “When you were 7-under through 10 the day before and then you’re trying to hole a 10-footer to stay 1-under 10, it feels like you’re playing a lot worse. I just try to keep perspective on it. I still played decent.”
He rebuilt his momentum on the back nine rather than unraveling it, a departure from patterns that have bitten him in the past. “You talk about momentum, I was able to build momentum on the back nine rather than every time I have a birdie, I tend to shoot myself in the foot on that front side,” he said.
Asked whether the tournament was shaping into a two-man race with Bryson DeChambeau three shots back, Herbert was careful not to get ahead of himself, pointing to Anthony Kim’s win in Adelaide earlier this year as a reminder of how quickly a perceived two-man battle can open back up.
“I think Bryson will have a bit of a job to do to make sure that it is a two-horse race,” he said. “We’re only halfway. We have a lot of golf to go, but I know I would love to make it a two-horse race with Bryson on Sunday, or maybe a one-horse race if I can.”
DeChambeau, for his part, continues to make sure he’s never too far behind. The Crushers GC captain posted a 5-under 67 in the second round, moving to 13-under and holding down solo second. It’s been a great stretch of golf for DeChambeau since Royal Birkdale, and the Rocester crowds have been treated to a classic DeChambeau performance so far. He remains squarely in the mix heading into the weekend, even with Herbert’s torrid pace out in front of him.
Tyrrell Hatton has emerged as the clear third contender of the week, and it’s fitting given the home crowd’s investment in his game. The Legion XIII star backed up his opening 66 with a 4-under 68 on Friday, moving to 10-under and solo third. He was honest that his putter hasn’t quite matched the rest of his game this week, particularly on left-to-right putts.
“I’ve been struggling with left-to-right putts this week. Feels like the ball’s just slipping off the face. So I’m not really hitting the line I want to,” he said, admitting he was surprised to see a putt on the 9th find the hole. Even so, he’s right where he wants to be entering the weekend, three shots clear of the chasing pack, and embracing the atmosphere at his home event.
Just behind him, Byeong Hun An and Harold Varner III are tied for fourth at 9-under, both coming off matching 68s in the second round. Legion XIII’s Caleb Surratt sits in a group at 7-under after a second-round 69, rounding out the group of players still within siren distance of the lead. Cameron Smith and Peter Uihlein are tied at 8-under after matching 67s, while Marc Leishman and Dean Burmester round out that group, also at 8-under.
The home fans have plenty to root for beyond Hatton, too. Majesticks GC, playing in front of its own crowd all week, sits well back on the leaderboard but has shown signs of life, with Ian Poulter continuing to be the steadiest of the group after his 5-under and in a tie for 17th. The energy from the galleries has been there for the home team regardless of where they sit.
Ripper GC’s dominance extends to the team leaderboard as well, where Herbert’s heroics have the team to 37-under, with Leishman (68) and Smith (67) both contributing strong second rounds and Travis Smyth adding a 69.
Crushers GC sits second at 28-under behind DeChambeau, with Charles Howell III and Anirban Lahiri both in support. Legion XIII moved into third at 19-under, powered by Hatton’s strong play, with Surratt also contributing. Southern Guards GC rounds out the top four at 12-under, led by Burmester’s 66.
Halfway through the week, LIV Golf UK remains Herbert’s tournament to lose — but with DeChambeau lurking, Hatton giving the home fans plenty to cheer, and Herbert himself unwilling to call it a two-horse race just yet, the final two rounds at JCB Golf & Country Club are shaping up to be must-watch.
Leaderboard Snapshot
Individual Top 5 (link to full leaderboard)
1. Lucas Herbert, Ripper GC (-17, 61-66)
2. Bryson DeChambeau, Crushers GC (-13, 64-67)
3. Tyrrell Hatton, Legion XIII (-10, 66-68)
T4. Ben An, Korean Golf Club (-9, 67-68)
T4. Harold Varner III, OKGC (-9, 66-69)
T6. Cam Smith, Ripper GC (-8, 69-67)
T6. Peter Uihlein, RangeGoats Golf Club (-8, 69-67)
T6. Marc Leishman, Ripper GC (-8, 68-68)
T6. Dean Burmester, Southern Guards GC (-8, 70-66)
T10. Caleb Surratt, Legion XIII (-7, 68-69)
T10. Anirban Lahiri, Crushers GC (-7, 68-69)
Team Top 5 (link to full leaderboard)
1. Ripper GC (-37) – Smith (69-67), Herbert (61-66), Leishman (68-68), Smyth (71-69)
2. Crushers GC (-28) – DeChambeau (64-67), Lahiri (68-69), Casey (73-69), Howell III (68-70)
3. Legion XIII (-19) – Rahm (73-70), Hatton (66-68), Surratt (68-69), McKibbin (73-70)
4. Southern Guards GC (-12) – Burmester (70-66), Schwartzel (73-69), Grace (71-73), Vorster (72-70)
5. Majesticks Golf Club (-9) – Poulter (68-71), Westwood (71-70), Canter (66-73), Horsfield (73-75)
Key Quotes
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“I feel like, if anything, it’s made me a more well-rounded golfer and given me the ability to learn in different situations because I wasn’t fortunate to have that as a kid. I played in my area, and that’s it. I didn’t have the ability to go travel nor the money to go travel. I feel like this has given me a bit of a step up and leg up in my golf experience. Hopefully I can translate that to future years.” — DeChambeau, Crushers GC
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“There’s a lot of fans out there watching our group, which was pretty awesome. It’s a privilege to have him out here on the tour because he’s bringing a lot of eyeballs and a lot of fans, which we love doing around the world.” — Herbert, Ripper GC
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“…It’s always nice to play in front of home fans. The crowd have been great so far. Always get lots of support, which is really nice.” — Hatton, Legion XIII
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“I know he changed coaches earlier this year. It looks like he’s been working on some good things. He’s a great player, and he’s got a lot of potential. I imagine he’ll go from strength to strength.” Hatton on Legion XIII teammate Caleb Surratt’s breakout season
Cumulative Stats Leaders
Find full tournament statistics HERE
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Fairways Hit %: 78.57% (22/28) – David Puig, Fireballs GC
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Greens in Regulation %: 83.33% (30/36)) – Caleb Surratt, Legion XIII
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Driving Distance (Average): 305.3 yards – Dustin Johnson, 4Aces GC
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Driving Distance (Longest): 339.8 – David Puig, Fireballs GC
What’s Next
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Tomorrow’s start time: Saturday 25 July, 13:05 BST
*Round 3 shotgun start time has been moved up 10 minutes -
Key groupings: Link to Round 3 groupings on Media Hub
Hole 1 — Group #1 (1:05 PM start)
Cam Smith (Ripper GC)
Harold Varner III (OKGC)
Ben An (Korean Golf Club)
Hole 1 — Group #2 (1:16 PM)
Tyrrell Hatton (Legion XIII)
Bryson DeChambeau (Crushers GC)
Lucas Hebert (Ripper GC)
Tickets and Event Information
Limited tickets for LIV Golf UK Presented by JCB from 23-26 July are still available. More information is available at www.livgolf.com, with all tickets including same-day access to all on-site fan experiences, and Saturday tickets including the LIV Golf After Play concert performance. Children aged 12 and under receive complimentary Grounds Pass admission (one per paying adult), with group tickets, hospitality and premium experiences also available.
For full event details, live scoring and tickets, please visit LIVGolf.com.
