LIV golfers continue to steal the show at the PIF Saudi International; Day 3 leaderboard explored

The third round of the PIF Saudi International was played this Friday, December 6, at the Riyadh Golf Club. The LIV Golf players continue to be the main protagonists of the tournament, holding the main positions on the leaderboard.

Joaquin Niemann continues to lead the PIF Saudi International, now alone with a score of 17-under. He is joined in the top 10 by five of his league colleagues, including Caleb Surratt, who set a new course record on Friday.

Here's where the LIV golfers stand on the PIF Saudi International leaderboard after 54 holes:

• 1 Joaquin Niemann -17
• T2 Caleb Surratt -16
• T2 Peter Uihlein -16
• T4 Jason Kokrak -15
• T4 Tyrrell Hatton -15
• 7 Thomas Pieters -14
• T11 Patrick Reed -12
• T11 Kieran Vincent -12
• T11 Cameron Tringale -12
• T11 Matt Jones -12
• T11 Cameron Smith -12
• T20 Branden Grace -11
• T20 Kevin Na -11
• T20 Eugenio Chacarra -11
• T25 Abraham Ancer -10
• T25 Dean Burmester -10
• T29 Wade Ormsby -9
• T29 Sam Horsfield -9
• T29 Talor Gooch -9
• T29 Lucas Herbert -9
• T37 Matthew Wolff -8
• T37 Jinichiro Kozuma -8
• T37 Louis Oosthuizen -8
• T43 Kalle Samooja -7
• T43 Scott Vincent -7
• T50 John Catlin -6
• T58 Martin Kaymer -5
• T62 Harold Varner III -4
• T62 Richard Bland -4
• T68 Sebastian Munoz -3
• T71 Graeme McDowell -2

Joaquin Niemann carded an eagle, five birdies, and a bogey for a 6-under total in the third round of the Saudi International. The Chilean broke a tie with Peter Uihlein and Caleb Surratt with a 10-foot putt for birdie on the final hole.

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Caleb Surratt's record round at the PIF Saudi International

Caleb Surratt set a new course record at the Riyadh Golf Club with a 10-under 61. The 20-year-old shot a bogey-free round with one eagle and eight birdies.

Speaking to the Asian Tour News Service after his performance, Surratt said:

"It was pretty stellar. I played really nicely. I might have mis-spoke stellar there. Played great, made a bunch of putts. I haven’t been making very many putts the last two days, but I’ve been hitting it really solid."

Surratt hit 11 of 14 fairways and reached 16 of 18 greens in regulation in the third round of the PIF Saudi International. He missed seven putts for birdie, one for eagle, and used 26 putts to complete the round.

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Other storylines from the event

One of the most interesting storylines of the event is which player will win the Asian Tour International Series. The winner will receive a contract to play in LIV Golf in 2025.

Up until a few weeks ago, the breakaway league reserve player John Catlin seemed assured of the top spot. However, his results have dropped dramatically and Ben Campbell has emerged as a serious contender for the top spot.

The current International Series leader is Peter Uihlein, who is already playing in LIV Golf, so the contract would go to second place. That position is currently held by Catlin, but he is only 75.91 points ahead of Campbell.

In contrast, Campbell is tied for eighth at the PIF Saudi International, while Catlin is tied for 50th. So the Riyadh tournament could be crucial for the future of both players.