Jon Rahm and Thomas Detry are tied for the lead at 17 under par entering the final round of the HSBC LIV Golf Hong Kong, alongside Harold Varner III. Rahm chartered a private flight to help Detry and other players stranded in the Middle East due to regional conflict reach the tournament. The event at Hong Kong Golf Club has seen strong performances, with Smash GC leading the team standings.
The HSBC LIV Golf Hong Kong entered its final round on March 8, 2026, with Jon Rahm, Thomas Detry, and Harold Varner III sharing the lead at 17 under par after three rounds at Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling. Rahm, captain of Legion XIII, shot a 5-under 65 on Saturday to join Detry (4-under 66) and Varner III (7-under 63) at the top. This marks the third consecutive LIV event where Rahm enters Sunday in contention, following runner-up finishes in the season's first two tournaments. His last individual LIV win was at Chicago in September 2024.
Detry's presence owes much to Rahm's assistance. Eight LIV players, including Detry of 4Aces GC, Legion XIII's Caleb Surratt and Tom McKibbin, Lee Westwood, Adrian Meronk, Sam Horsfield, and Anirban Lahiri, were stranded in the United Arab Emirates amid conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, which closed Dubai's airport. Rahm arranged a charter flight, involving a drive from Dubai to Muscat, Oman, for boarding. The group arrived in Hong Kong midday Wednesday.
"If it wasn’t for him, I don’t think I’d be there," Detry said after his second round. He noted a booked Emirates flight might have arrived late Wednesday but appreciated Rahm's help amid uncertainty. Rahm emphasized safety over the tournament: "The way I see it is it’s simply my duty... my main focus essentially was getting them out of there."
In team play, Smash GC leads at 44 under, two strokes ahead of 4Aces GC at 42 under, with Legion XIII third at 41 under. Carlos Ortiz and Dean Burmester sit at 15 under, tied for fourth with Thomas Pieters, who carded a 9-under 61. The course, at 6,711 yards, has favored strong drivers despite its length, with Varner III noting it plays longer than expected on several holes.
Rahm expressed optimism: "As long as I'm doing that, I'm playing good golf... hoping tomorrow I have a good Sunday and get it done." Detry added, "We’re both competitors... we’re just going to have a nice competitive fun round tomorrow, and we’ll see who prevails."
