MARANA, Ariz. — Marc Leishman holed a collection of lengthy birdie putts and even just a few huge putts for par to publish a 6-under 65 for a one-shot lead Friday within the LIV Golf League within the excessive desert of Arizona.
The second LIV Golf occasion of the season is at The Gallery north of Tucson, the place the previous Match Play Championship was held for 2 years.
For stroke play, the undulated greens and pins tucked on crowns made it troublesome in spots to search out birdies. That wasn’t a problem for Leishman. The Australian produced from 20 toes on the 14th, from the identical vary on the sixteenth after which rolled in a 40-foot putt on No. 3.
He additionally made a 12-footer for par on No. 4. With just one bogey on his card, he led by one shot over Abraham Ancer, Louis Oosthuizen and Matthew Wolff.
Charles Howell III, who opened LIV’s second season with a win at Mayakoba three weeks in the past, had probably the greatest turnarounds. He opened with a double bogey and was 3 over after 4 holes, solely to reply with 4 straight birdies. He completed with a 69.
“I hung in there properly,” Howell mentioned. “You are in altitude, the pins are on the perimeters of slopes, it is onerous to get the ball shut. Birdies aren’t straightforward.”
Howell is amongst eight gamers who beforehand performed The Gallery when it was a World Golf Championship occasion in 2007 and 2008. Henrik Stenson gained in 2007 and misplaced in semifinals to Tiger Woods the next 12 months earlier than it moved to a special course on Dove Mountain.
Stroke play wasn’t as sort to Stenson. He was 4 over after seven holes and needed to rally with 4 birdies the remainder of the best way for a 73.
Dustin Johnson additionally received off to a tough begin with a tee shot into the desert for double bogey on No. 2, his beginning gap within the shotgun begin, and one other double bogey on No. 7. He completed with three straight birdies from brief vary for a 73.
Joaquin Niemann, Peter Uihlein and David Puig, who signed with LIV Golf out of Arizona State, every have been at 67. The group at 68 included Sergio Garcia and Pat Perez.
Niemann and Puig every play for Torque, which had a one-shot lead within the staff competitors over Smash and Iron Heads.
Cameron Smith, at No. 5 on the earth the highest-ranked participant with LIV Golf, struggled together with his tee photographs within the excessive desert. He rallied with three straight birdies late in his spherical, solely to hit one other wild drive on the 18th gap for bogey and a 71.
Thirty of the 48 gamers within the area broke par. That included Phil Mickelson (70) and Laurie Canter (70), who once more stuffed in for Martin Kaymer because the German recovers from harm.
