Lucas Herbert will carry the hopes of Ripper GC fans into the final day as a Mexican standoff looms at the top of the leaderboard at LIV Golf Adelaide.

A shower greeted players as they teed off at The Grange Golf Club in Round 2 on Saturday but it was the blustery winds that confounded many and made shot selection and iron play so challenging.

The Australian Open champion by five strokes more than six years ago at The Lakes Golf Club, Mexico’s Abraham Ancer produced the round of the day to join countryman Carlos Ortiz and England’s Sam Horsfield at 9-under par and in a three-way tie at the top.

Ancer shot 5-under 67 on Saturday to put his Fireballs GC team within one of Majesticks GC (10-under) in the team competition, defending champions Ripper GC fighting back late to narrow the margin to nine strokes with one round to play.

“I love this kind of golf,” said Ancer.

“Definitely not a bomber's paradise. As you can tell, I'm not gifted with a ton of distance, but I love to move the ball around and play with my trajectory, and I love that.

“In Australian golf you can do that. You have multiple types of ways to get the ball in the hole, and I truly enjoy that.

“That's why I feel like I've played good in the past, and I have a lot of confidence here.”

Tied for fourth in the season-opener in Riyadh, Herbert will start Sunday’s final round as one of six players in a share of ninth at 3-under par and within six strokes of the lead.

With The Grange able to take shots back as quickly as it gives them up, it is by no means an insurmountable deficit for the in-form Herbert.

The Victorian shot 67 in the final round to win the NSW Open last November and was tied for fifth at the Australian Open, form that should instil a sense of confidence to adopt the role of pursuer on Sunday.

Starting at the par-4 fifth, Herbert took two early steps back with bogeys on five and eight but headed to the back nine with momentum after making birdie at the par-5 ninth.

Birdies at 13, 16 and 18 saw the 29-year-old play the back nine in 3-under par but dropped another shot with a bogey at the par-4 second.

With his team in desperate need of a lift, Herbert birdied his final hole for a round of 2-under 70.

If their fans were holding onto a glimmer of hope, the Ripper GC boys sent them home buoyant as all four picked up a shot on their final hole of the day.

Marc Leishman (70) made four birdies in his final five holes to end day two in a tie for 20th, captain Cam Smith (73) got up-and-down for birdie at the par-5 seventh and Matt Jones (71) ended Round 2 with birdie at the par-5 13th.

LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN

Individual T1 Carlos Ortiz (Torque GC) -9 T1 Sam Horsfield (Majesticks GC) -9 T1 Abraham Ancer (Fireballs GC) -9 4 Joaquin Niemann (Torque GC) -6 5 Jon Rahm (Legion XIII) -5

Australians T9 Lucas Herbert (Ripper GC) -3 T20 Marc Leishman (Ripper GC) -1 T29 Cameron Smith (Ripper GC) +1 T35 Matt Jones (Ripper GC) +2 T48 Wade Ormsby (Iron Heads GC) +6

Team 1 Majesticks GC -10 T2 Legion XIII -9 T2 Fireballs GC -9 7 Ripper GC -1