Joaquin Niemann Holds Off Harold Varner III to Maintain Lead at Bedminster
Joaquin Niemann enters the final round of LIV Golf New York at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster holding a 14-under par lead, maintaining his position atop the leaderboard despite carding a first-hole double bogey during Saturday’s third round. According to tournament reports, the 36-hole leader rebounded with three birdies to finish with a 1-under 70, keeping him two strokes clear of the field heading into Sunday.
Weather Interruptions and the Battle at the Top
Saturday’s round tested the field with both an early mistake and a 40-minute weather delay that altered course conditions. Niemann noted that the brief stoppage created a trickier playing environment on the back nine, though he managed to execute his tee shots under pressure. Harold Varner III capitalized on the shifting conditions by firing a 6-under 65, climbing to 12 under par and cutting Niemann’s lead down to two strokes. Varner stated that his recent string of consistent finishes has built momentum for his current run down the stretch.
Former World No. 1 Lee Westwood positioned himself alone in third place at 10 under par following a 2-under 69, building on his Friday 65. At 53 years old, Westwood remains a competitive outlier against younger tour members. Westwood remarked on the physical demands of competing at this level, noting that he yields a significant disadvantage off the tee compared to longer hitters in the field like Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. Tom McKibbin followed in fourth place at 7 under after shooting a 70, while Sergio Garcia dropped to fifth at 6 under following a 1-over 72.
Team Standings and Mid-Leaderboard Shifts
In the team competition, Torque GC maintained its hold on the top spot at 1 under par, despite a difficult moving day that saw Sebastian Muñoz and Carlos Ortiz both card 76s. Legion XIII climbed into second place at 1 overall, aided by Caleb Surratt’s 68, McKibbin’s steady play, and a 69 from Tyrrell Hatton. Westwood’s Majesticks GC sits in third place at 5 over par, anchored by the captain’s individual performance.
Further down the individual leaderboard, Byeong Hun An, Thomas Pieters, and Richard Bland share sixth place at 5 under par, with Bland following up his Friday 64 with a 71. Scott Vincent stands alone in ninth at 4 under, while Lucas Herbert, Paul Casey, and Younghan Song are tied for tenth at 3 under par.