It was an impressive score considering Herbert said he’s struggling with his swing.
“I tried to stay patient. I knew that I was going to have three par-5s late. A few of those putts were really key. I didn’t lose the rhythm to the round,” Herbert said.
“I’m certainly struggling at the moment with swing. I’ve done a lot of technique work this year. It’s a bit of a struggle at times. But I made some good swings today. And the bad ones I got away with.”
That he did. There were eight birdies, one bogey and several clutch par putts. There were fine up-and-downs, low-running four-irons under trees, and a drive on two that was smoked, and soared, drawing, downtown. It was a flat-out beautiful golf shot.
It was a lot better than Friday.
After being so excited about LIV Adelaide, Herbert’s 73 – on a day when the stroke index might’ve been 69 – was ordinary. Indeed it was bad.
Lucas Herbert warms up. PHOTO: Liv Golf
Herbert, though, said he was “actually pretty proud of yesterday.”
“I really ground it out. That could easily have been four- or five-over. To salvage one over was probably better than I deserved,” Herbert said.
Herbert finished round two with three straight birdies. His last hole was the party one, the tee-box littered with plastic cups and surrounded by several thousand liquored-up patrons.
Herbert stiffed it. Rolled in a four-footer. Punched the sky. You beauty.
Matt Jones’ birdie on the Watering Hole was well received by fans. PHOTO: Getty Images
“It was pretty fun. I’ve been thinking long and hard about it. I didn’t want to shy away from it, I wanted to embrace it. Saturday afternoon, I knew everyone would still be there and getting into it.
“Someone asked me to do a ‘shoie’. I said I think my shoes are already full of beer. It was a lot of fun there to finish.”
Ripper GC finished the day in fourth position on 33-under, two shots behind leaders Torque GC. Herbert’s team-mates Smith (-11) and Matt Jones (-10) played consistent and very good golf – even if Smith did rely on a ball hitting a lady before ricocheting onto the fairway.
“All I want is a hug” said a lady whom Cameron Smith’s golf ball struck during round two of LIV Adelaide. PHOTO: Getty Images
Marc Leishman and Herbert both sit at -6.
Herbert said that following his one-over round on Friday, the pressure was off and that it was his turn to contribute to the team score.
“I was sitting tied-48th going into today so it would be very easy to think there’s not a lot on the line. But there is,” Herbert said.
“Those guys in the lead [Smith and Jones], there’s more pressure on them to shoot 7-under. There’s a little less pressure on me to do it so it’s kind of my job.”
American Brendan Steele holds a one-shot lead ahead of Kiwi Danny Lee (-13) with Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz and Mito Pereira both -12.
Play commences on Sunday at 11:15am (Adelaide time) with all four players’ scores counting towards the team total.
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