Carlos Ortiz leads Dustin Johnson by a stroke after the first round at LIV Portland
Follow all the action as Dustin Johnson and Carlos Ortiz take the lead in the final round of the second LIV Golf event.
Johnson birdied eight in a round of 68 at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland, Oregon yesterday as the former world No. 1 seeks to snatch the £3.25million top prize. Ortiz, one of the new signings in the Saudi-backed breakaway, shot a 69 to ensure he joined Johnson at the top of the standings at eight under par. Their closest challenger comes in the form of Branden Grace, who is two shots back. Fellow South African Justin Harding starts a shot further at five under par, while Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed are still with an outside chance as they start four shots off the lead.
One man certainly not ready to press charges is Phil Mickelson, who endured another torrid week following his calamitous performance at the US Open. The 52-year-old is six over par but will be back in action as LIV Golf events do not feature a cup. In the team event, 4 Aces GC, captained by Johnson, lead with -15. The all-South African side Stingers GC, who won at the Centurion Club last month, go second. Follow all the actions below:
LIV Golf Portland
Johnson goes to -9! After missing two birdie chances, he made the putter work on the par-3 12th and the two-time major champion was just one off the lead.
Tom KershawJuly 3, 2022 12:40 a.m.
LIV Golf Portland
Johnson misinterprets his birdie putt, once again giving him too much credit on the high side, and just like at 11, Grace had a perfect look from behind. This time the South African’s own efforts lack speed and die far from the hole in the end. Ortiz’s lead remains at one.
Tom KershawJuly 3, 2022 12:27 a.m.
LIV Golf Portland
Grace gets on the 11th tee and flares her fairway to the right. He gets free clearance though and is able to fade his approach around a tree and the ball just trickles down the front of the green. It’s a great escape and he, Johnson and Ortiz will all have a similar length for the birdie.
Tom KershawJuly 3, 2022 12:22 a.m.
LIV Golf Portland
Oosthuizen birdied three of his last four holes to go -7, three shots back.
Back at 10, the three players in the last group returned to the green. Ortiz and Johnson make their peers but Grace got a great read of the latter’s effort and goes for her birdie. The South African goes to -9 and is only one shot away from the head.
Tom KershawJuly 3, 2022 12:08 a.m.
LIV Golf Portland
After missing a short on the final hole, Ortiz kept his composure to save the par 9. He made the turn to 35 but what was at one point a four stroke lead was reduced to two by Johnson and Grace.
Tom KershawJuly 2, 2022 11:53 p.m.
LIV Golf Portland
Patrick Reed is two under for his round so far, but a birdie chance increases to 11 and he remains four shots off the lead.
The lowest current round to date comes from Phachara Khongwatmai. The 23-year-old is four under on 10 holes, which is quite a turnaround, having shot 77 and 75 respectively on Thursday and Friday.
Tom KershawJuly 2, 2022 11:50 p.m.
LIV Golf Portland
Grace leads the green on the 8th for 330 yards and two putts for a birdie. He moves to -8 and is quickly joined at that mark by Johnson, who has reduced his approach to just a few yards. Ortiz can only make par and the lead is down to two.
Tom KershawJuly 2, 2022 11:35 p.m.
LIV Golf Portland
There’s the first crack in Ortiz’s armor. He fires a short putt to save the par on the 7th and goes down to -10. Johnson has almost an identical putt for the birdie, knows the line and rolls it confidently in the middle of the hole. Ortiz still has a three-stroke lead, but there were signs of nervousness from the Mexican and it’s a big change of momentum.
Tom KershawJuly 2, 2022 11:23 p.m.
Tom KershawJuly 2, 2022 11:16 p.m.
LIV Golf Portland
Ortiz’s momentum has slowed down a bit with pars at 5 and 6 but the Mexican is still far ahead with a four shot lead.
The team event is a bit tighter, with the 4 Aces (Johnson, Perez, Reed, Gooch) two shots ahead of the Fireballs (Ortiz, Ancer, Garcia, Lopez).
Tom KershawJuly 2, 2022 11:07 p.m.
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