RAHM’S PARENTS: Jon Rahm’s parents Edorta and Angela are following him this week in Mexico City, just as they did last week at the Masters. They will be with their son through next month’s PGA Championship.

“Since I joined LIV, they haven’t had the joy to be there for a win,” said Rahm, who has three career LIV Golf individual titles. “Hopefully I can get one while they’re here with me.”

Asked how much golf talk is involved in their post-round discussions, Rahm replied: “My dad might ask me a few things here and there. My mom, absolutely not. She would not care a single second about what I did on the golf course, which is nice. It’s refreshing.” 

DECHAMBEAU UPDATE: Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau, vying to become the first LIV Golf player to win three consecutive individual tournament titles, shot an even-par 71 and is tied for 29th. DeChambeau won the previous two LIV Golf tournaments via playoffs. 

POULTER’S NEW CONTACT LENSES: Majesticks GC Co-Captain Ian Poulter said he is wearing contact lenses for the first time in 20 years. Coincidence or not, he has his first top-5 position after any round since the 2024 LIV Golf Individual Championship in Chicago when he finished solo 5th.

“I had Lasik surgery 15, 20 years ago and the edges got off, so I’m kind of in this game at the minute of just searching to find out an answer,” Poulter said. “Is it my stroke? No, go away, have a look at my stroke, my stroke feels pretty good. Is it my eyes? Is it my optics? Am I reading it right? Am I hitting putts on the right lines?

“We’ve played this game for a long time. We’re always searching for perfection. I don’t know what perfection is. I’m going to keep looking. If it’s contact lenses for now and that’s making me be at the right end of the leaderboard, then that’s fantastic.”

Poulter entered this week in the relegation zone, 51st in points, with four finishes outside the top 40. He knew something needed to change. 

Asked if the contact lenses provided him with a noticeable difference in how he played, Poulter responded: “Yes and no. I took my sunglasses off for one shot because the light was dimming just a little bit and then I hit a shank on my last hole. It’s tricky; I blink – and that’s why I went to Lasik surgery so long ago because every time I blink, the contact lenses move just slightly. So, we’re at altitude, trying to stay hydrated so my eyes; I was putting drops in my eyes today.

“It’s a lot of adjustment. The optics of standing over a ball looks a little bit different. But I have to try something.”

VINCENT’S HYFLYERS DEBUT: Wild Card player Scott Vincent was tabbed by HyFlyers GC as the replacement this week for captain Phil Mickelson, and the Zimbabwean provided the team with its best round of the day, a 4-under 67 that left him tied for third. Vincent is coming off his best result, a solo 11th in South Africa that moved him to 24th in the points standing. 

INTERNATIONAL SERIES LEADER: Australian Travis Smyth took the Wild Card spot that opened up with Vincent’s move to the HyFlyers. The current International Series points leader shot a 2-over 73 but also recorded one of the four 400-yard drives Thursday.