Talor Gooch and Peter Uihlein share a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the season-opening LIV Golf Mayakoba.
The Americans both carded 66s on Saturday to move to nine under, one shot ahead of countryman Howell Charles III.
England’s Paul Casey and South Africa’s Branden Grace are tied for fourth on six under following rounds of 71 and 68 respectively.
Gooch played for the champion 4Aces GC last season but left to join the RangeGoats, while Uihlein, who finished 2022 playing for Smash GC, was brought in to fill Gooch’s roster spot for the 2023 season.
Both players have made great impressions for their new teams through the first 36 holes. Now paired in the final group on Sunday, they’ll battle for an individual trophy. Will the outcome answer the question of whether the RangeGoats or the 4Aces got the better end of the transfers?
“No, not week one out of 14 events,” Uihlein said with a laugh.
“I think we need a little bit of a bigger sample size,” Gooch added.
Still, said Uihlein, “it’s funny how sometimes those play out, don’t they?”
Meanwhile, Uihlein’s 4Aces and Gooch’s RangeGoats will both play chaser in the team competition. Crushers GC (14 under) will take a two-stroke over the 4Aces (12 under), with Fireballs GC (10 under) and the RangeGoats (7 under) also lurking.
It’s the first time the Crushers have taken a lead into any LIV Golf round – and they’ve done so through the first two rounds without captain Bryson DeChambeau contributing a counting score.
“It shows the crazy nature of golf, number one,” said Charles Howell III, the leading Crushers player who is in solo third, one shot behind the co-leaders. “Number two, I know Bryson has a low one in him. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him shoot a low one tomorrow.”
As for Uihlein and Gooch, both are former Oklahoma State players (as is Howell) and both are good friends. They’ve chatted about the transfers, how it happened that both were involved.
Gooch wanted to play with his good friend Varner III. Uihlein felt like he was joining the Yankees when he got the nod from 4Aces Captain Dustin Johnson, whose team won four regular-season events and the Team Championship last year.
“I’ve told Talor a lot that I think he’s handled this as well as anybody could have since joining [LIV Golf] and being on the Aces and then obviously switching teams,” Uihlein said. “Just the way the team stuff works out, with the finances and stuff, he’s done it incredibly well. I have a lot of respect for him.”
Said Gooch: “Once I knew what was going to happen and I was going to Bubba’s team, Peter was one of the first guys I called. Like, hey, we might be needing a fourth, don’t go signing anywhere, don’t do anything.”
A year ago, Uihlein finished third in the individual champion race, with Johnson capturing the title. Gooch finished 11th. Neither lofted an individual trophy. It might change for one of them on Sunday.
“Pete played great last year,” Gooch said. “He beat me last year … The Aces didn’t falter whenever they got Pete. They’re a great team and they’re going to continue to play well. Hopefully we can start playing like the Aces.
“Come the end of the season, I think they’re going to be some good battles.”
The first one ends Sunday at Mayakoba.
– Edited report from LIV Golf website
