Dustin Johnson is 1 behind Carlos Ortiz in the live golf event news
Dustin Johnson is 1 behind Carlos Ortiz in the live golf event news. A rookie in the rival series is at the top of the leaderboard for the first LIV Golf competition in the United States.
Mexican Carlos Ortiz fired a 5-under 67 to lead by one stroke after the first round at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Oregon. Ortiz was one of the newest players to join the LIV Series earlier this week.
Dustin Johnson, the highest-ranked player on the LIV circuit at No. 17, is one stroke behind Ortiz after shooting 68, which featured five birdies and just one bogey.
The Houston Open was Ortiz’s lone PGA Tour triumph, and he was ranked No. 119 in the world at the time. He had seven birdies total on Thursday, including four on the front nine.
Pat Perez (T-3, 69) and Brooks Koepka both finished Round 1 in the top 10 players (T-6, 70). This week marks the debut of both Americans on LIV.
‘There isn’t really any letting up in the 54-hole format, so you have to get off to a solid start and obviously keep going,’ said Perez. ‘Each shot has a greater significance, in my opinion.’
Even-par 72s from Matthew Wolff, Patrick Reed, and Bryson DeChambeau, who was playing in his first tour event, were among Day 1’s other notable results. In a group with Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Kevin Na, and Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson shot a 3-over-par 75 and is tied for 30th place.
The second LIV occasion is this one. Former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel took home $4.75 million for winning the maiden event, which was held earlier this month outside of London.
The new series, led by CEO Greg Norman, wants to compete with the PGA Tour and has attracted players with substantial signing bonuses and generous prize pools. However, many describe the trip as an attempt at “sports washing” to draw attention away from Saudi Arabia’s violations of human rights, such as the 2018 murder of American-based writer Jamal Khashoggi.
At a nearby little park honoring veterans on Thursday, around ten relatives and Sept. 11 terrorist attack survivors gave speeches.
Tim Frolich, a survivor who suffered injuries in the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings, said of the event: ‘This event is nothing more than a group of very gifted athletes who appear to have turned their backs on the crime of murder.’
Money is one of the factors that draws golfers to LIV Golf. A $20 million purse, along with an additional $5 million in prize money for team competition, is up for grabs for the 48-man field in addition to sizeable signing bonuses.
Even the person who finishes in last place receives a payout of $120,000 because there is no reduction.
A Johnson-led squad that featured Perez, Reed, and Talor Gooch led the team phase of the competition on Thursday.
Due to the fact that the competition was held over two different courses, it was challenging to estimate the number of spectators, and LIV Golf did not provide attendance data.
Mickelson, a six-time major champion and a popular player on the tour, drew one of the larger crowds on the first day.
Every active player who took part in the first LIV event was suspended as the PGA Tour responded to LIV Golf’s challenge. If they don’t resign their memberships on the tour, those who perform in Oregon will also be suspended.
Dustin Johnson is 1 behind Carlos Ortiz in the live golf event news.