Rahm leads by 2; Legion XIII teammates set for final-group showdown at LIV Golf Mexico City

MEXICO CITY: Jon Rahm will have a familiar face alongside him in Sunday’s final group at LIV Golf Mexico City — and a familiar position atop the leaderboard.

The Legion XIII captain carded his second consecutive 4-under 67 on Saturday at Club de Golf Chapultepec to reach 14 under, giving him a two-shot lead entering the final round. It will be the fifth time in his LIV Golf career that he has started the final round with the lead.

Waiting just behind is teammate Tyrrell Hatton, who fired a 5-under 66 to move into solo second at 12 under, setting up a compelling final-group pairing between two teammates who have already proven to be a formidable duo on the biggest stage. It is the first time since joining LIV Golf prior to the 2024 season that Rahm and Hatton are in the final group in the final round.

“I don’t see the dynamic changing a lot, but I can imagine we’re going to be speaking a little bit less than we do normally just because of the situation we’re going to be in,” Rahm said. “Down the stretch, no matter who we’re playing with, the conversations are very limited.”

Hatton knows the challenge that awaits as he tries to chase down Rahm, the league’s current points leader and reigning two-time Individual Champion.

“I’ll be trying to make as many birdies as I can to overtake Jon, but that’s going to be a difficult task,” he said. “He’s proved many times how to win golf tournaments. He’s been incredibly consistent this season so far on LIV. It’s going to be a tough day, but hopefully I can play well and see what happens.”

Rahm and Hatton have gone 4-0-1 together in Ryder Cup play — and while this will be the first time they have been paired in the final round of a LIV Golf event, their history suggests a