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Fri, Dec 13, 2024 | Jumada al-Aakhirah 12, 1446 | DXB
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Bhullar secures round 2 spot at LIV Golf Promotions in Riyadh with dramatic 20-foot putt
Twenty-one players advance including rising stars from Brazil and Hong Kong and and a Mexican golfer’s remarkable run with borrowed clubs
- By
- KT Golf
n: Dubai Golden VISA Awardee, Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind), shoots four under par 67 to advance to round two of the LIV Golf Promotions at Riyadh Golf Club, Saudi. - Supplied photo
A total of 21 players advanced out of Friday’s opening round of LIV Golf Promotions, including Jon Rahm’s former college roommate Max Rottluff, rising stars from Brazil and Hong Kong, and a Mexican golfer playing with borrowed clubs.
Those 21 players now join 28 others who received exemptions into Friday’s second round at Riyadh Golf Club. The leaderboard will be reset, with the top 20 players (no ties) advancing to Saturday’s 36-hole final day.
The LIV Golf Promotions winner earns a spot in the 2025 LIV Golf League, while the top 10 and ties receive exemptions into all International Series events next year.
Dubai Golden Visa Awardee Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind), made the qualifying score of four under par, 67 on the mark, to advance to round two.
“I made it through – what a relief,” Bhullar told Khaleej Times. “ I holed a 20-footer on the last. My goal is to repeat the performance on Friday’s round two as the whole field starts again at level par.
“The course is actually, in my opinion, playing better than last week in the International Series – Riyadh on the Asian Tour, and the greens are so much better – or perhaps I am just getting used to them.
“Another important round of golf for us all in round two – wish me luck!’
Korea’s Jeunghun Wang, playing in the final group, birdied his last hole to top the first-round leaderboard with a 7-under 64. while five players shared second by shooting 65, with nine players shooting 66.
Cutline achieved
The final six players advanced on the cutline number by shooting four-under 67, eliminating the remaining 43 players from the tournament.
Hong Kong’s rising star, 24-year-old Taichi Kho, was among the group at 6 under, his round highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 15th after a 355-yard drive. Kho also advanced from the first round at last year’s Promotions tournament before being eliminated in the second round.
“Last year I couldn't get past the fact that it was a clean reset after round one.” Kho said, “I remember last year I had a great first round as well, and I felt like I carried on some of those thoughts and feelings as I would do a regular tournament going into the second round.”
Germany’s Max Rottluff also shot 6-under, with five birdies in his last seven holes. Rottluff played collegiately at Arizona State, where he was the roommate of Jon Rahm, the Legion XIII captain who won the 2024 Individual Championship in his first LIV Golf season.
Another roommate was Alberto Sanchez, who is the caddie of Fireballs GC’s David Puig. Rottluff, won the 2023 UAE Challenge on the Challenge tour held at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Abu Dhabi. South Africa’s Ian Snyman, another player who shot 65, already has a taste of LIV Golf. He played for Cleeks GC in the first two tournaments held during the inaugural 2022 season.
Borrowed clubs
Mexico’s 22-year-old Jose Islas, who turned pro earlier this year and recently won two events on his home country’s tour, is among the group shooting 66. Islas’s round, which included five consecutive birdies, was manufactured from borrowed clubs from his caddie’s friend after his own equipment failed to arrive in Riyadh.
Although the clubs are the same manufacturer (Titleist), they’re a completely different model than his usual blade irons. Even so, he holed an eagle shot from 165 yards during a practice round and will continue to rely on them if his clubs don’t show up.
Brazil’s Fred Biondi, the 2023 NCAA Individual Champion from Florida’s winning team, posted a bogey-free 66, as did Spain’s 21-year-old Luis Masaveu, a former U.S. Amateur semi-finalist.
The hottest group on Thursday was the threesome of Ireland’s Mark Power (66), Spain’s Borja Virto (66) and England’s David Horsey (67), with all three players advancing. Veteran American players Bo Hoag and Ollie Schniederjans also advanced, with Hoag shooting a bogey-free 65 and Schniederjans making it on the number with a 67. If Hoag finishes first this week, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to travel in 2025 during LIV Golf’s global schedule.
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