Herbert holds LIV UK lead as Smith surges with eight straight birdies

Australian golfer Lucas Herbert clung to his lead at the LIV golf tournament in the United Kingdom after a third round that saw him shoot a 3-under par. Despite a less spectacular performance compared to his opening rounds, Herbert maintained a three-stroke cushion over American Bryson DeChambeau. Herbert's total score now stands at 20-under par, but his lead is not yet secure. DeChambeau is in second place at 17-under, followed by England's Tyrrell Hatton at 15-under. The tournament's biggest story of the day, however, was Australian Cameron Smith. Smith produced a remarkable performance, stringing together eight consecutive birdies. This feat tied the record set by Colombia's Sebastián Muñoz last year and allowed Smith to finish the back nine in just 28 strokes. Despite this incredible run, three early bogeys prevented an even more historic score. Smith is now at 14-under par, six strokes behind Herbert, with a slim chance of mounting a late challenge. Other notable performances included Mexico's Abraham Ancer, who shot a 7-under par for the session, placing him tied for fifth. Chile's Joaquín Niemann also had a strong showing with a 4-under par round. Meanwhile, Jon Rahm, the overall LIV leader, finished the day at 2-under par, significantly trailing the leaders and indicating he will need to wait for the next tournament to potentially secure his third consecutive league title.