LIV Golf LIVE: Leaderboard and Day 3 scores as Branden Grace holds off Dustin Johnson to win in Portland
Relive all the action from the final day of the controversial Saudi-backed invitational event
Branden Grace produced a spectacular final round to win the LIV Golf Portland event and claim the £3.2m first prize. The South African had started two shots back of Carlos Ortiz but a round of 65 saw him storm to victory three shots clear of the Mexican. Former world No 1 Dustin Johnson had been in contention despite a slow start but couldn’t keep pace with Grace on the back-nine, while Patrick Reed’s charge came too late to threaten the top of the leaderboard.
Grace had won twice on the PGA Tour and nine times on the European Tour before defecting to LIV Golf ahead of the inaugural event at Centurion Club last month. He is part of the Stinger GC team that won just outside London as Charl Schwartzel claimed victory. Despite Grace’s performance, it was the 4 Aces team featuring Johnson, Reed, Pat Perez and Talor Gooch that took the prize this time around.
While the action unfolded, LIV Golf also announced their latest new signing in Ryder Cup regular Paul Casey. “LIV Golf continues to attract the best players in the sport as it builds increasingly competitive fields with each event,” LIV Golf’s chief executive, Greg Norman, said. “Paul Casey adds to the growing list of top 50 golfers who are excited to be part of an innovative and entertaining format that is creating something new for golf. His proven track record on a global stage adds another exciting piece to the competition as we prepare for Bedminster.”
LIV Golf Portland
It’s been a heck of a start from Carlos Ortiz. He hits a fantastic approach into the 211-yard par 3 that leaves an uphill birdie putt. He rolls it in confidently to move to -10. Johnson can only make par while Grace, after opting to chip off the fringe and catching the downslope, sees his momentum halted by a bogey.
LIV Golf Portland
Johnson can’t get up and down at the 2nd after that errant approach and he slips back to -7. There are no such problems for Branden Grace, though, who drains a birdie putt to join Johnson at that mark. Ortiz has a nervy putt to save par but he holes it to ensure his lead is now two shots.
LIV Golf Portland
Koepka makes a fantastic par at the 3rd. His tee shot stopped just on the lip of the bunker, leaving an awkward chip shot straight down the hill. He opened the face, took a confident swing at it and the ball bounced no more than a couple of feet in front of him, rolling down and very nearly catching the lip. He holes the return putt up the slope to remain at -5.
LIV Golf Portland
Johnson and Ortiz are both wayward off the tee at the 2nd, dragging their drives left and leaving themselves blind approaches.
Ortiz has 172 yards in and finds the middle of the green but it’ll be a long two-putt from there.
Johnson is on an upslope out of the rough and flies it long of the green. That’ll be a tricky up and down.
LIV Golf Portland
Ortiz rolls in that short birdie putt at the 1st. He played the hole to perfection and now has the outright lead, with Johnson having to settle for par.
Justin Harding has made a terrific start to his round with back-to-back birdies and he’s at -7, two shots back.
LIV Golf Portland
Oosthuizen couldn’t take advantage of the par-5 1st but a fine approach into the 2nd leaves him a good look at birdie.
Yuki Inamori, the world No 73, hits a terrific approach with a 3-wood into the 18th green and will have nothing more than a tap-in to move into the red for the tournament.
LIV Golf Portland
Johnson is forced to lay up quite a way back but a great approach leaves him a long look at birdie. Ortiz only needs to flick a wedge in there and he has a much better chance of taking the outright lead.
Elsewhere, Bryson DeChambeau opened with a bogey but a huge drive sets up a fine birdie at the 4th which takes him back to -3.
LIV Golf Portland
Up ahead on the green at the first, Justin Harding makes a perfect start, rolling in a tricky left-to-right slider for birdie. That takes him to -6, just two shots off the lead. Brooks Koepka matches him with a birdie to move to -5.
LIV Golf Portland
Patrick Reed was in fine form yesterday, shooting a 68, and he’ll have a look at birdie on his first hole of the day. He’s four shots back.
It’s time for the leaders to get started now. Carlos Ortiz hits a perfect fade down the first and he’ll have a good chance of getting to the green in two at the par-5. Dustin Johnson pulls his drive into the bunker, though, and he’ll almost certainly need to lay up.
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