Joaquin Niemann has to settle for 70 as his LIV Golf lead shrinks to 4 shots over Rahm

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) — Joaquin Niemann goes into the final round of LIV Golf Mayakoba with a four-shot lead without having a round in the 60s. A day after Niemann shot 59, he had to settle for a 1-under 70 on Saturday to maintain control.

Masters champion Jon Rahm, the biggest name to sign with the Saudi-funded league during the offseason, overcame an early bogey to post a 67 and join Dean Burmester (66) in the group trying to track down Niemann.

This is the opening event in the third season of LIV Golf with its 54 holes and shotgun start.

Niemann was at 13-under 129.

Niemann had an opening round in which everything felt easy. This was more of a grind. He bounced back from an early bogey with three birdies over a five-hole stretch to close out the front nine at El Camaleon.

At one point, Burmester had cut the lead to two shots after Niemann made a pair of bogeys, but the 25-year-old Chilean birdied the par-3 15th and Burmester bogeyed his last two holes.

Burmester and Niemann are among LIV players who thrived in the offseason. Nieman won the Australian Open. Burmester won his native South African Open and Joburg Open in successive weeks in joint European tour and Sunshine Tour events.

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf