Carlos Ortiz took a one-shot lead into the clubhouse after an opening round 67 at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in the second invitational event of the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series. He shot five-under par on Thursday and leads 4 Aces GC captain Dustin Johnson heading into the second day’s play.
Ortiz’s heroics were enough to drag his team, Fireballs GC, into fourth place in the team competition after none of his three teammates managed to record scores under par for the round. Johnson’s 4 Aces have the lead in this part of the event as his score combined with debutant Pat Perez’s three under to put their team two shots ahead of Stingers GC who won the team competition at Centurian Club in LIV Golf’s inauagral invitational.
Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and Patrick Reed were among the latest players to defect from the PGA Tour and all three settled nicely into the format although the likes of Phil Mickelson, Greame McDowell and previous LIV Golf champion Charl Schwartzel struggled on Day 1.
The glorious weather conditions and accessible greens look set to provide another low-scoring day yet there remains a perpetual cloud over proceedings due to the contentious nature of this rebel tour and a looming court case after 16 players have threatened the DP World Tour with legal action unless their sanctions for competing in the first LIV Golf event are rescinded.
Follow all the action from Day 2 of the second event of the controversial LIV Golf series below:
LIV Golf live updates
-
Second invitational event taking place in Portland, Oregon
-
Round 1 individual leaderboard: Ortiz (-5), D. Johnson (-4), Tanihara, Perez, Grace, Ormsby (-3)
-
Round 1 team leaderboard: 4 Aces (-7), Stingers (-5), Torque, Fireballs (-4) Punch (-3)
-
DP World Tour hits back at LIV Golf players threatening legal action over ban
DP World Tour hits back at 16 LIV Golf players threatening legal action over ban
20:15 , Michael Jones
Chief executive Keith Pelley has hit back at the 16 players who have threatened the DP World Tour with legal action unless their sanctions for competing in the first LIV Golf event are rescinded.
In a strongly-worded, 550-word response to the letter which “implored” the Tour to reconsider the penalties before 5pm today, Pelley criticises the claim from the players that they “care deeply” about the Tour, citing how many times they have played in Rolex Series events in recent years.
He also says that one player gave a signed commitment to play in this week’s Horizon Irish Open, but is instead contesting the second LIV Golf event in Portland.
Pelley declined to comment in detail on the threat of legal action but said he feels the sanctions handed out are “proportionate, fair and, I believe, considered necessary by the majority of our members.”
DP World Tour hits back at 16 LIV Golf players threatening legal action over ban
LIV Golf returns with second invitational event
19:27 , Michael Jones
The controversial Saudi-backed breakaway tour is back this week as LIV Golf hits America with its second event being held at Pumpkin Ridge in Portland, Oregon.
The breakaway series continues to gather momentum with Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed among the high-profile players to have recently defected from the PGA Tour joining the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen.
Carlos Ortiz made his LIV Golf debut yesterday and marched to the top of the leaderboard with a five-under par round 67 but he’s closely tracked by Johnson who is just one shot back. In the team competition Johnson’s 4 Aces GC have a two stroke lead over Oosthuizen’s Stingers GC but that can all change in today’s rounds as Pumpkin Ridge is set for another low-scoring day.
The PGA Tour and DP World Tour have attempted to come down hard on rebel players, issuing suspensions and fines, and the tours are on a collison course with the court room as 16 LIV Golf players have threatened the DP World Tour with legal action unless their sanctions for competing in the first LIV Golf event are rescinded.
What else does Day 2 of the Portland Invitational have in store?