DELOFTED: Two-Way Tie for the Lead in Hong Kong! Ortiz and Burmester Share Top Spot – Rahm Chases with a Stellar Round! Folks, what a spectacle at the HSBC LIV Golf Hong Kong! After an impressive 10-under 60 in Round 1, Torque GC's Carlos Ortiz followed up with a 4-under 66. This puts him at a commanding 14-under, sharing the lead with Southern Guards GC star Dean Burmester, who made a strong move with a 6-under 64 – including five birdies on his final eight holes. Ortiz is now well on his way to claiming his second LIV Golf victory. But the man remains composed; the nerves only set in on Sunday. "When you have a chance to win on the back nine on Sunday, that's when you start to feel it," said Ortiz. "Otherwise, you're just trying to put yourself in position for that exact spot on Sunday." Detry Defies Jetlag, Rahm Hits Top Gear Just one shot back, at 13-under, lurks 4Aces GC's Thomas Detry. He carded a 7-under 63 – just one shot shy of the day's best round! Truly impressive, considering Detry had barely any practice time due to travel chaos and significant jetlag. "Honestly, I didn't know what to expect when I teed off yesterday morning," Detry commented. "I only arrived here Wednesday morning after a real nightmare journey through the Middle East, but I made it and got off to a good start yesterday, and I think I just kept playing well and maintained the momentum." But watch out, folks! Jon Rahm of Legion XIII is a real threat, just two shots back! The captain fired an incredible 8-under 62 – the round of the day, and what a sensational round it was! Only a single bogey was on his scorecard, along with seven birdies and an eagle on the par-5 13th hole. Rahm was clear after the round: his putter was the MVP! "If I had to name an MVP for the day, it's the putter," Rahm said. "Made a lot of good putts, many mid-range putts from 15 to 20 feet – you can't underestimate that. Had a blast on the greens today." Aces and Comebacks – What a Spectacle! Directly behind them, at 11-under and three shots off the pace, are David Puig, Matthew Wolff, and Richard Bland. Puig and Wolff each delivered a 6-under 64, while Bland posted a 7-under 63. For Wolff, this T5 position at the halfway point marks his first top-5 standing after a round since Round 2 in Singapore 2024. Things also really heated up in the team ranking: Smash GC stormed to the front, with all four players individually in the top 17. Their Round 2 performance was spearheaded by Graeme McDowell, who played four birdies in his first nine holes. McDowell's impressive round got even better when the Smash GC veteran conjured up a hole-in-one on the 181-yard (166-meter) par-3 fifth hole! He is now T4 at 11-under – what a performance! This ace was the second
