Branden Grace made a big move on Friday in the second round of LIV Golf Adelaide when he carded a bogey-free eight-under-par 64 to move into a share of third place at the halfway stage at the Grange Golf Club in Adelaide, Australia.

It was a big move up the leaderboard for the South African after his opening one-under-par 71, and he was four strokes off the lead which was held by Jon Rahm. Grace birdied his first hole, the eighth, and then picked up four more on his way to the 18th. He finished with a flourish with three birdies in a row from the fifth to the seventh.

Rahm moved to the top of the leaderboard after shooting a second-round bogey-free nine-under 63 to take a one-shot lead at 13-under. Rahm rolled in a 47-foot putt for eagle at the par-five seventh and made five other putts between 10 and 25 feet on Friday. Overall, he made approximately 151 feet of putts. “I can’t remember the last time I made this many, but it was a lot – and the ones that didn’t go in looked like they were going to go in,” Rahm said. “It was a fantastic day on the greens.”

Rahm’s closest pursuer was RangeGoats GC’s Ben Campbell, who shot his own 63 fueled by a string of five consecutive birdies. Another shot back was Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau, who managed a five-under 67 highlighted by an eagle at the par-five seventh. New 4Aces GC member Anthony Kim wass solo fourth after a bogey-free 67. Smash GC Captain Talor Gooch, who won the first LIV Golf Adelaide in 2023, was tied for fifth with Grace.

Dean Burmester had a one-under 71 in the second round, while Charl Schwartzel had a 64 of his own which included a bogey on the 15th – his 17th hole of the day. Louis Oosthuizen signed for a three-under-par 69.