Johannesburg – Bryson DeChambeau maintained his lead at LIV Golf South Africa on Friday, extending his advantage to two strokes after a second-round 65 at Steyn City Golf Club. The performance came as other players, including a returning Phil Mickelson, navigated a challenging course and a competitive field.
DeChambeau’s eagle on the par-4 first hole marked the third time he has achieved that feat on his opening hole in a tournament round, following similar starts at the 2025 LIV Golf Indianapolis and the 2025 Mexico City events. He finished the day at 14-under, with Branden Grace and David Puig of Fireballs GC trailing at 12-under.
Mickelson, making his 2026 season debut after a leave of absence for a family health matter, dramatically improved upon his opening round of 75. He carded a 4-under 67 on Friday, a round featuring four birdies and no dropped shots. The HyFlyers GC captain had struggled on Thursday, with a double bogey and a triple bogey marring his scorecard.
Beyond the leaders, several “Wild Card” players demonstrated their competitive edge. Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe and Japan’s Yosuke Asaji both positioned themselves within the top 20. Vincent posted rounds of 66 and 68, while Asaji registered scores of 68 and 67, including two eagles in his second round. “It’s been amazing,” Vincent said, acknowledging the enthusiastic support from the local crowd. “Every fairway people are cheering for me and yelling ‘Zimbo’ for Zimbabwe. Loving it. The support is unreal. I wish I could have more events like this.”
The par-3 17th hole, nicknamed the “Lion’s Den,” proved a focal point of competition. Players from the Southern Guards GC – Dean Burmester, Charl Schwartzel, and Branden Grace – combined for tee shots within a total of 8 feet, 2 inches of the hole. Burmester and Grace converted their opportunities into birdies, while Schwartzel’s putt narrowly missed. Burmester’s shot came within one foot of the hole, the closest of the week so far. “That’s top three highlights of my career, I think, especially after hitting a shot like that after all of that is awesome,” Burmester said.
Grace added, “The good thing about 17 is you can control your nerve to be able to hit a golf shot like that. It was just such a perfect distance. It was 141 yards, a little down off the left, and it was just a stock standard wedge, didn’t have to do anything special. It was more really just backing yourself to aim a little left because of the wind direction. It was phenomenal to be able to hit a golf shot like that under that pressure and then to spot the crowd go absolutely bonkers.”
Adding a personal touch to the competition, Dean Burmester of the Southern Guards donned a jersey of South Africa’s national football team, Bafana Bafana, while approaching the 17th hole, sporting the number 22. He explained the significance of the number, linking it to his wife and their shared anniversary date. “So, 22. Two when I was growing up was my favorite number, and then I met my wife, and then two became her favorite number, and then 22 became our favorite number because we’re two twos,” Burmester said. “So we got married on the 22nd of the 11th month, and everything is kind of divisible by two. When I played cricket, I always used to bowl two. I bowled second. I always had two on my jersey, and it became 22 when we became more than one person, so it’s a pretty cool sentimental thing.”
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