LIV Golf LIVE: Leaderboard and Day 1 scores as Carlos Ortiz leads the way after the opening round in Portland
Follow all the action from the second event of the Saudi-funded breakaway series
Golf’s newest and most controversial tour, the LIV Golf Series, hosts its second event in Portland, Oregon this week with the action kicking off tonight. The Saudi-backed venture has added more high-profile names to its roster, with America’s Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and Patrick Reed among the latest players to defect from the PGA Tour, joining the likes of Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson.
The American PGA Tour and European DP World Tour have issued suspensions and fines respectively in a bid to halt the breakaway but players Carlos Ortiz and Matthew Wolff have committed themselves to LIV Golf in the last week alone. Meanwhile Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas, amongst others, have spoken publicly in favour of golf’s two main tours yet the field in Portland is set to be significantly stronger than at LIV Golf’s inaugural event in England last month.
South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel bagged the first winner’s cheque for £3.85m after triumphing at the Centurion Club and another eye-watering £20m prize pot will be on offer in Oregon with the lure of the Saudi-backed rebel series’ riches proving hard to resist for players. The full field of 48 players has been confirmed and the format will continue to be a 54-hole shotgun start played across three days with Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland hosting this week’s event.
Relive all the action from Day 1 of the second event of the controversial tour below:
PGA Tour and DP World Tour step up efforts to thwart LIV Golf
The PGA Tour and DP World Tour have announced a new 13-year operational joint venture partnership which creates new player pathways and increased prize funds in the next phase of their fightback against LIV Golf.
In an announcement coinciding with the opening press conferences at LIV’s first United States event in Portland this week, the two circuits announced a strengthening of their alliance which was first launched in November 2020.
The aim is to counter LIV’s cash with a better competitive structure for players and from next year, the top 10 finishers on the season-ending DP World Tour rankings who are not already exempt will gain PGA Tour cards.
The PGA Tour will increase its ownership stake in European Tour Productions from 15 per cent to 40 per cent, with the cash from the deal used to increase prize funds - with guaranteed increases in DP World Tour purses for the next five years.
PGA Tour and DP World Tour step up efforts to thwart LIV Golf
Both tours have been desperate to stem the tide of players who have been lured by the riches offered by the Saudi Arabia-backed series
LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1
A surprising and special Day 1 from team Torque:
LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1
Scott Vincent on the charge! A nice tee shot on 12 leaves him with a eight or nine feet for birdie and he calmly rolls it into the middle of the cup. Two birdies in two holes for Vincent sees him move within one of the lead.
Hideto Tanihara is back on top!
He guides a left-to-right swinning putt into the hole of the fifth to move back to four under. It’s a good response from the Torque captain after giving a shot away with an awfuly par putt a couple of holes ago.
LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1
Team leaderboard update:
Torque GC (-6)
Stingers GC (-6)
4 Aces GC (-6)
Cleeks GC (-4)
Crushers GC (-3)
Fireballs (-2)
LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1
DJ with a share!
It seems bewildering to say that Dustin Johnson hasn’t played all that well today - for his high standards - but over the last five holes or so he’s been fantastic.
Three birdies in that run including one at the 13th sees him shoot to the top of the leaderboard. The 4 Aces captain is leading by example and helps his team to a share of the team lead too.
There’s a three-way tie at the top of the team leaderboard.
LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1
Branden Grace takes the outright lead after sinking a six foot putt on the fifth for a birdie. The South African moves to four under for the day and with it helps the Stingers to a share of the team lead as well.
LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1
Jinichiro Kozuma finds some trouble on the first hole and has to settle for a bogey six which drops him back to (-3) for the round. There’s now a five way tie at the top of the leaderboard with around five holes left in the day.
LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1
Carlos Ortiz is going to be there or thereabouts by the end of the day. He’s played brilliantly today and has just five holes to play. At the third Ortiz collects his fifth birdie of the round and joins the group at three under par.
Individual leaderboard
Jinichiro Kozuma (-4)
Hideto Tanihara (-3)
Branden Grace (-3)
Dustin Johnson (-3)
Louis Oosthuizen (-2)
Pat Perez (-2)
Carlos Ortiz (-2)
Justin Hardin (-2)
Martin Kaymer (-2)
LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1
What a putt from Jinichiro Kozuma! On the 18th green the Japanese rolls a 15ft putt from the edge of the turf right into the middle of the cup and moves into the outright lead.
Torque GC also move two shots clear in the team tournament.
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