Well, well, well. It appears Joaquín Niemann has either developed a serious crush on New Jersey or a rather twisted sense of humor about golf, because he’s strutting around LIV Golf’s New York stop with an early, ridiculously comfortable lead. His first spin around Trump National Golf Club Bedminster was less a golf round and more a serene glide through a field of daisies, punctuated by birdies. A bogey-free 64? That’s not just good golf; that’s the kind of thing that makes you wonder if he’s whispering sweet nothings to the grass blades.
Last time he was leading after 18 holes, it was a wild 59 in Mayakoba. This time? He just sort of… did it. Quietly. Like a philosophy professor contemplating the existential dread of a missed five-footer, he turned in 30. He’s got a two-shot cushion heading into the weekend. It doesn't feel like a lead; it feels like he’s just decided this tournament is his, and he's too polite to make a fuss about it.
Right behind him is none other than Ian Poulter. Bless his heart, the man seems to have rediscovered his golf game, possibly found lurking in a dusty cigar box next to his collection of slightly-too-loud trousers. His 5-under 66 suggests a man who’s been practicing, or perhaps just remembered how to hit the ball. Battling the inferno that is a New Jersey summer, he emerged looking like he’d just survived a particularly grueling spa day, albeit one that left him with a pounding headache and the grim determination of a bulldog.
Sharing that second spot is Lucas Herbert, who seems to be collecting birdies and top-10 finishes like a squirrel hoards nuts. Fresh off his record-breaking spree in the UK and a decent showing at The Open, Herbert’s just… here. Always. Another bogey-free round at Bedminster, where he miraculously salvaged par on eight occasions he found himself in the weeds, shows a man who treats the rough with a peculiar, almost affectionate, disdain. Honestly, the starter probably just marks him down for the final group as a formality these days.
Thomas Pieters and Brendan Steele are lurking four shots back, having managed a respectable 68. On the team side, Niemann’s Torque GC is looking sharp, and the HyFlyers and Ripper Golf Club teams are also in the mix. It’s almost as if winning isn’t just about your own game, but also about being near Niemann’s general good vibes. His putting, racking up about 140 feet of made putts, coupled with his dominance in Strokes Gained, suggests he’s not just playing golf; he’s performing a low-key miracle.
When asked if it was his best round of the season, Niemann, with that charming way of forgetting things he doesn't want to remember, said yes. He does, however, vividly recall that 59. The early birdies, including a 20-footer and a truly audacious 40-footer from off the green, were just the opening act. It’s that ability to hole the impossible putt that separates the good from the… well, the Niemanns. The rest of the field, I’m willing to bet, is currently re-evaluating their pre-round stretching routines with a newfound sense of desperation.