[Photo: Getty Images]
Victorian Marc Leishman deployed his best wind-beating skills to share the lead after the first round of LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club.
On the first ever Thursday round for the Adelaide leg of the league, the noted wind specialist remained patient in the fluctuating breezes to craft a six-under-par 66 – the only bogey-free scorecard of the opening day.
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The Warrnambool golfer described today as “only a 4 or 5” out of 10 for wind difficulty (by comparison, last December’s Victorian PGA at Moonah Links was a 9.7, according to Leishman’s ‘wind scale’), so felt at ease with the conditions… mostly.
“It was tough in the wind, putting,” Leishman said. “[The ball was] moving around with the gusts. I made the putts that kept momentum going, which I think is important when it’s windy like today.”
He shares the lead with Bryson DeChambeau at six-under, a shot in front of more Americans in Dustin Johnson and Anthony Kim. At four-under sit Jon Rahm, Graeme McDowell and 2018 Australian Open champion Abraham Ancer.
Leishman was the weakest link in Ripper GC’s victory in Riyadh last weekend, if such a term can be applied to a winning team, finishing T-22 individually as his teammates shouldered the heavier scoring load. Whether or not that motivated the 42-year-old today, he was the most effective player in the first 18 holes of this year’s tournament. What is motivating Leishman is the quest to be the first Aussie to hoist an individual LIV trophy in their homeland.
“I’ve never seen an Australian win an individual title in Australia at a LIV event, which I think would be pretty special,” he said. “Obviously I was a part of the team win in 2024, and that felt like winning a major for me. It was pretty awesome to have so many people that were equally as happy to celebrate with.
“An Australian winning here would be pretty massive, and yes, it would feel different.”
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Of the other Australians, LIV Riyadh winner Elvis Smylie made three birdies in carding a one-under-par 71, the same score returned by Lucas Herbert and a shot better than Ripper GC captain Cam Smith’s even-par 72. Smith’s comeback was admirable after he bogeyed his first three holes. Collectively, Ripper GC sits equal second among the 13 teams, trailing only the 4Aces by two shots in the aggregate format.
Meanwhile, Adelaide’s Wade Ormsby, who is filling in for Phil Mickelson on the HyFlyers side this week, shot a 73 at the club where he’s a long-time member.
DeChambeau authored the day’s most unusual birdie. Having departed the par-5 ninth hole without a birdie, at the par-5 10th, the dual US Open champion topped his drive (which still rolled out 220 metres) yet still hit the green in two with a 262-metre 3-wood. He almost made the eagle putt:
“It was a perfect strike, [just] right into the tee box,” DeChambeau said of his drive, adding that he simply swung too steeply into the shot. “Got to make sure I don’t hit it with too negative an attack angle next time.”
Among the surprise packets across the Grange’s composite layout was the rejuvenated Kim. The 40-year-old American was announced as a signing for the Johnson-led 4Aces team only yesterday and celebrated his first round on LIV as a non-wildcard player with a 67. Kim rebounded from an early bogey at the 16th hole (his second of the day) to plunder six birdies.
“I think I’m delusional enough that my expectations were the same today as they were two years ago,” Kim said of his ongoing comeback. “But now I’m actually able to produce some of the good shots.
“I’ve been working hard and it’s nice to see rounds like today where they could have been much lower, but it was still solid and on a tricky day.
“I think I have a lot of opportunity in front of me, and if I just keep working, I don’t see why I can’t be contending on Sundays.”
