Lucas Herbert maintains a narrow lead after three rounds at Maaden LIV Golf Virginia, sitting three strokes ahead of Sergio Garcia as the duo separates themselves from the field heading into Sunday’s final round. A victory for Herbert would mark his first league win and potentially secure a spot in next month’s U.S. Open.
Herbert continued his dominance at Trump National Washington D.C., carding a solid 4-under 68 in Saturday’s third round to reach 21 under par. Garcia, who shot a 65 to move to 18 under, is his closest challenger. The next group of players chasing Herbert sits eight shots back after the Australian powered through the day.
Josele Ballester delivered a spectacular performance with a bogey-free 12-under 60, tying the league record for the lowest round relative to par. Starting the day tied for 33rd, the 22-year-old now shares third place at 13 under heading into the final round. That marks the biggest one-round jump on the leaderboard in league history.
Ballester’s breakthrough has him level with Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau, Southern Guards GC’s Dean Burmester, and HyFlyers GC’s Scott Vincent.
Despite recording 10 birdies, Garcia’s three bogeys prevented him from taking the lead. The two-time LIV Golf winner (past two seasons) finished his round with consecutive birdies but will need a strong final push to chase down Herbert.
The team competition intensified, powered by Ballester’s 60. The Fireballs combined for a cumulative 28 under, the second-lowest team score for a single round in LIV Golf history. Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII and the all-Spanish team are tied for first at 35 under, while Ripper GC and Herbert’s team sit two shots back.
