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:
LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1
Pat Perez’s run of birdies ends on the 14th as he bogeys the par-3.
It’s all change at the top of the leaderboard too!
Hideto Tanihara slides a three foot putt for par wide of the hole and records his first bogey of the day. Almost at the same time Dustin Johnson knocks a nine footer in on the 11th and takes a share of the lead.
LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1
Brooks Koepka is back to two-under following a birdie two on the par-3 12th.
Elsewhere Justin Harding is two-under for the first time in his round with a birdie at the seventh and Jinichiro Kozuma extends Torque’s lead in the team competition with a four on the par-5 17th to take him within one shot of the lead.
LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1
A slight right to left swinger on the 13th drops into the cup for Pat Perez to move the Ace level with Branden Grace at three under par.
LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1
Branden Grace moves within one shot of the lead with a fine birdie on the second hole. He was one of Stingers GC’s main men in the opening event at Centurian Club and he’s leading the way for the South African team once again.
LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1
Abraham Ancer is heading in the right direction again. A tough day for the Mexican-American has seen him in the black since the first hole but a lovely birdie putt on 11 brings him within one of a level par round.
LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1
Birdie for the leader!
This is a more than steady round now. Hideto Tanihara starts his front nine with a birdie four on the par-5 first and moves two shots in front of the nearest challengers.
Dustin Johnson has rescued his round nicely. He started with a bogey on the 18th but swept through the front nine at three-under par to keep him in touch with the leader.
LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1
16 of the 48 player field are under par but only two men have reached (-3).
Carlos Ortiz has dropped back into the pack from his earlier position at the top of the leaderboard but a steady round from Hideto Tanihara sees him leading the way.
LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1
Jinichiro Kozuma with the putting skill:
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