Branden Grace carded a three-under-par 67 on Saturday in the second round of LIV Golf Tulsa at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma to head into the final round just two shots off the lead.
Grace trails Dustin Johnson, who carded a seven-under 63 to take the lead. In second, Grace is two ahead of two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, with Bryson DeChambeau on fourth on nine-under and Cam Smith and Brendon Steele in a share of fifth on eight-under.
Johnson will be seeking his second individual tournament title on Sunday, having won last year in Boston with a dramatic eagle putt in a playoff. He’ll be in the final group with Grace for the first time since last year’s tournament in Portland, the first LIV event played in the United States. The South African shot a seven-under 65 at Pumpkin Ridge to rally from two strokes down to win and will need a similar performance at Cedar Ridge.
Grace led for the majority of the second round before suffering his first two bogeys of the week at holes 15 and 16. Meanwhile, Johnson birdied both holes, a four-shot swing that gave Johnson the lead.
“I’m definitely going to have to go deep tomorrow,” said Grace, at 12-under after following his record-setting 61 on Friday with a three-under 67. “I’m not saying it’s going to take a nine-under or something like that, but if I can just play well, give myself some chances and then take it from there.”
The third member of the final group will be Watson, who is at 10-under after shooting a 64 on Saturday, his best round in his eight worldwide starts in 2023 since returning from knee surgery. Watson was one-over early in his round before finding his rhythm and making seven birdies in his last 13 holes.
In the team competition, the all-South African Stinger GC surrendered the lead to Johnson’s 4 Aces GC consisting of Johnson, Patrick Reed, Peter Uihlien and Pat Perez. Grace, team captain Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and Dean Burmester are right in the hunt, however, at 25-under and just one off the lead.