Dean Burmester’s scoring touch deserted him on Saturday, as he made just a single birdie in the third round of HSBC LIV Golf Hong Kong to head into the final round in a share of fourth on 15-under-par.

After opening rounds of eight-under 62 and six-under 64 at the Hong Kong Golf Club at Fanling, Burmester’s single birdie in the third round came on the eighth hole, and he made pars on all the rest.

That put him just two strokes off the lead together with Thomas Detry of Belgium, and Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz, with Lucas Herbert of Australia on one-under in seventh place.

“I’m gutted,” Burmester admitted after the round. “I don’t feel like I did too much wrong, honestly. Maybe tried a little too hard. I don’t know. I hit some amazing golf shots out there. I hit some poor ones, probably on the wrong holes. Hit some great shots. I went bogey-free. Just didn’t make any putts. Got to find a way to lift myself up tomorrow and give it a go.”

For the third time in three starts this season, Jon Rahm will enter the final round in a strong position to earn his first individual LIV Golf victory since 2024. The Legion XIII captain carded a five-under 65 to climb into a three-way tie for the lead.

“You have to keep putting yourself in contention and giving yourself chances,” said Rahm, who has started the 2026 season with consecutive runner-up finishes. “As long as I’m doing that, I’m playing good golf, take advantage of the opportunities I get, but it’ll come. As I’m playing solid golf, I’m hoping tomorrow I have a good Sunday and get it done.”

For Rahm to claim a win at Greater China’s oldest championship course, he’ll need to outduel the very man he helped make his way to Hong Kong Golf Club – 4Aces GC’s Thomas Detry. The Belgian, despite arriving late after being stranded in Dubai, has shown no signs of rust, shooting a four-under 66 to also join the final group of co-leaders.

Rahm and Detry aren’t alone at the top, as Smash GC’s Harold Varner III fired a seven-under 63 to vault himself into a share of the lead.

Branden Grace and Louis Oosthuizen were in a share of 17th on nine-under after rounds of 67 and 65 respectively, while Charl Schwartzel’s best round of the three so far, a five-under 65, took him to seven-under and a share of 29th.