Lucas Herbert leads LIV Golf UK as Cameron Smith matches incredible birdie record

Lucas Herbert remains firmly in control of LIV Golf UK presented by JCB after carding a 3-under 69 in the third round to take a three-shot lead into Sunday.

The Ripper GC star moved to 20-under par after 54 holes, maintaining his remarkable consistency across the opening three rounds despite admitting Saturday was not quite as comfortable as his first two days.

Herbert will take a three-shot advantage over Bryson DeChambeau into the final round, with Tyrrell Hatton another two shots further back at 15-under par. 

The Australian has plenty of experience playing from the front and believes that comfort with a lead has been one of the keys to his success.

“I enjoy it. I enjoy being in the lead,” Herbert said. 

“It’s been awesome to play with Bryson the last couple days and get to play with him again tomorrow. It’s a great energy out there. Any time when you’re in the lead you get good energy. I think maybe playing under pressure brings the best out of me.”

With DeChambeau and Hatton chasing, Herbert knows he cannot afford to become overly focused on his rivals.

“You can’t play match play against these two guys too much. They’re great players,” he said. “I’m going to do my best just to stick to what I’m doing, try and make as many putts as I can.”

DeChambeau kept the pressure on with a 4-under 68 to reach 17-under. The Crushers GC captain has now posted three consecutive rounds in the 60s and remains within striking distance of Herbert.

“So excited for the chance tomorrow and looking forward to a good battle tomorrow,” DeChambeau said. 

“Time to go get it.”

Hatton produced another impressive round in front of the home crowd, firing a 5-under 67 to move into solo third at 15-under.

The biggest moment of the day, though, belonged to Cameron Smith.

The Ripper GC captain caught fire on the back nine, making eight consecutive birdies to equal the LIV Golf record for most birdies in a row in a single round. 

The extraordinary run helped Smith card a 6-under 66 and climb to 14-under par, putting him alone in fourth.

Smith admitted he did not fully appreciate what was happening until late in the streak.

“Really didn’t start to think about it until I holed that long one on 15 there,” Smith said.

The Australian credited his ability to stick to his process despite not feeling that he was striking the ball at his best.

“Just committed to the process and the shots and the feels. I think when it’s all going your way it’s easy to do. It’s when it’s not that it’s hard to do.”

Asked where the birdie streak ranked among his career achievements, Smith was unequivocal.

“I don’t think I’ve done that before, so it’s definitely top of the list of birdies in a row. It’s a pretty cool thing to do.”

Smith’s spectacular round also helped Ripper GC strengthen its grip on the team competition. 

The Australian-led side sits at 41-under par, nine shots clear of Crushers GC on 32-under par.

Legion XIII is third at 29-under par, while Torque GC occupies fourth at 19-under.

Abraham Ancer produced the lowest round of the day with a superb 7-under 65 to join Harold Varner III at 13-under, while Byeong Hun An is seventh at 11-under.

Marc Leishman, Caleb Surratt and Charles Howell III are tied for eighth at 9-under.

For the home fans, Ian Poulter and Laurie Canter are both tied for 14th at 7-under, although Majesticks GC remain outside contention in the team race.

Sunday now sets up perfectly for a final-round battle. Herbert has the advantage, but DeChambeau has shown throughout the week that he can go low, while Hatton will be hoping to produce a final-day charge in front of the home crowd.

For Herbert, the challenge is simple: maintain the form that has made him the standout player of the week and convert his three-shot advantage into another wire-to-wire victory.

LIV Golf UK 2026: Individual Leaderboard

LIV Golf UK 2026: Team Leaderboard