Branden Grace Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

Back at the top: Grace shoots a record 61 to lead the way at LIV Golf Tulsa

Golf Digest Middle East — Sat, 13 May 2023 07:31:29 +0000

Branden Grace shakes hands with Kevin Na. LIV Golf

Branden Grace holds the record for lowest single-round score in a men’s major. Now he holds the record for lowest score shot in a LIV Golf tournament.

The Stinger star posted a bogey-free 9-under 61 in Friday’s opening round at LIV Golf Tulsa, breaking the previous low of 62 shared by five players. The record-breaking score gave Grace a two-shot lead over 4Aces Captain Dustin Johnson and HyFlyers’ Brendan Steele, who each shot 64 at Cedar Ridge Country Club.

Grace holds the major record of 62 shot at the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Grace played in two majors last year but is not scheduled to compete in any of the majors this season.

“This for us is majors at the moment, so we’ll take it,” Grace said. “Every time you can shoot low numbers, it’s good — and it’s nice to see the team play well.”

Fuelled by Grace’s 61, along with 65 from captain Louis Oosthuizen and 67 by Dean Burmester, the all-South African Stingers lead the team competition by six shots at 17-under. Johnson’s 4Aces, the current point leaders in the team standings, are second at 11 under, with Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats and Cameron Smith’s Ripper another shot back at 10-under.

Talor Gooch, the Oklahoma native and RangeGoats star who has won the last two LIV Golf League tournaments to climb to the top of the Individual Champion standings, shot a 2-under 68 that did not count for his team. But he was pleased to see the big turnout of fans for LIV Golf’s first event in his home state.

It’ll never catch on ?? #LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/vTHXBDiNLq

— Arlo White (@arlowhite) May 12, 2023

“It was awesome,” Gooch said. “I had some more nerves early than I expected, but it was a blast out there. The pressure I put on my state the last couple of tournaments when I’ve kind of called them out, they came through for us today.”

Gooch holds the record for lowest round relative to par, having shot consecutive 10-under 62s in his first win at LIV Golf Adelaide. Grace fell one birdie short of tying that record, but after finishing outside the top 40 in Australia and Singapore and falling into some bad habits, he’s glad to see that last week’s work with his swing coach paid quick dividends.

“Just trying to work on the routines, not let bad things sneak to your head at certain times, things like that,” said Grace, winner of the first LIV Golf event held in America last year in Portland. “This was a really good day.”

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Watch: Day 2 highlights from LIV Golf Bangkok

Matt Smith — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 10:32:05 +0000

By Matt Smith
Catch up with the highlights from Round 2 of the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok as Spanish Youngster Eugenio Chacarra stretched his lead to five strokes at Stonehill in Thailand. Watch below…

[parone_video_player content-key=”fe2Fb1Eb62BDEdCaAd91″ campaign=”fe2Fb1Eb62BDEdCaAd91″ defaultlang=”en” feed=”51-all-videos”/]

This was after co-leader Branden Grace was forced to withdraw after three holes due to a side muscle injury.

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Storm brewing: Chacarra stretches lead in Bangkok as Grace sees title chances dashed after injury forces withdrawal

Matt Smith — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 08:57:23 +0000

By Matt Smith
Eugenio Chacarra edged closer to claiming his first title as a professional — and a whopping pay day — at the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok on an eventful day at Stonehill.

The Spaniard will have a big chance on Sunday, where predicted storms mean the shotgun start has been brought forward to 9am local time.

The 22-year-old Spaniard added a 63 to his opening 65 on Saturday for a 16-under total and a five-stroke lead over nearest challengers Harold Varner III, Patrick Reed, Sihwan Kim and Chicarra’s fellow first-round leader Richard Bland.

.@Eugeniochacarra banks one last birdie on 18

He is in the lead at 16 under after 2 rounds

Watch here https://t.co/VopBjVyY4e #LIVGolfBangkok #LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/bmbh0Z6xXU

— LIV Golf (@LIVGolfInv) October 8, 2022

There was a name noticeable by its absence as the third man that was leading the way after Day 1 — Branden Grace — was forced to withdraw through injury, putting his season and title hopes in major doubt.

The South African entered Saturday’s second round in Thailand with a chance to catch Dustin Johnson atop the season-long individual points race.

However, three holes into his round, he was forced to call it quits with an acute muscle strain on his left side, making him a big doubt for next week’s finale in Jeddah, and possibly the Team Championship in Miami at the end of the month.

The Portland champion, Grace, has been one of the most consistent players this season on LIV with three top-15s and a third-place finish in London to add to his victory.

It’s also a blow for his all-South African Stinger team, who have lost their main man.

Grace came into this week in second place in the Individual Championship standings with 79 points, 39 behind Johnson. With tournament winners receiving 40 points, Grace could have taken a one-point lead with a win and a bottom 24 finish for Johnson (only players finishing in the top 24 receive points). Johnson entered Saturday’s round tied for 21st.

Depending on the results in Bangkok, he could stay inside the top three going into Jeddah.

Even if that happens, if he can’t play next week, his podium position will be in jeopardy. Only the top three players in the final points standings receive portions from the $30 million bonus purse — $18 million to the winner, $8 million to second, and $4 million to third.

Asked about Grace’s status for Jeddah, his physiotherapist Cornel Driessen said: “Chances are slim, but we first have to do a thorough investigation. It might be a slight strain, but if there’s a small tear, no chance. We’ll see.”

Grace first noticed something might be wrong while on the range Saturday, but he managed to birdie the opening hole to move to 8 under. The injury became worse after his tee shot on the second hole. On his ensuing approach shot, he grabbed his left side near his ribs and asked for an ice bag. He finished the hole with a par.

At the 191-yard par-3 third, he opted to use a 4-iron instead of his usual choice of 7-iron. Although obviously in pain, he continued to play, and nearly rolled in his birdie putt. But after finishing with a par, he received treatment from Driessen and a local medical crew while lying near the third green and was simply unable to continue.

He was then taken off property to a medical facility for an MRI.

“It’s very likely a strained intercostal muscle or oblique muscle,” Driessen said. “If he keeps on swinging, it makes it worse. We don’t want to risk long-time injury or damage.”

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Breaking down Day 1 from LIV Golf Bangkok as Grace, Chacarra and Bland lead the way and title race hots up

Matt Smith — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 13:23:15 +0000

By Matt Smith
LIV Golf Portland champion Branden Grace is looking to chase down Individual Championship leader Dustin Johnson by the conclusion of next week’s event in Jeddah. And the South African got that mission off to a perfect start in Bangkok as he shot a seven-under 65 to share the lead alongside veteran Englishman Richard Bland and just-turned-pro Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra at Stonehill.

Johnson — the 4 Aces team captain and Boston individual winner — has a healthy lead in both standings as we get set for Day 2 in Bangkok, but Bland looks ready to pounce, if DJ opens the door.

With Bland leading the way, Johnson is in a tie for 21st, thanks to a two-under 70 and four-event team winner cut an unhappy figure as he headed to the range for some post-round practice.

Johnson has a 39-point lead in the individual standings, and victory in Bangkok would secure the title and the $18 million bonus.

But a second win for Grace and Johnson failing to reach the top 24 would see the 34-year-old leapfrog the two-time major champ and lead by one point going into the Jeddah showdown.

“I’m just trying to win a golf tournament,” said Grace, a member of the all-South African Stinger team. “If I can do that, if I can keep my mind toward that, then the rest will happen. I’m just fortunate to be in a good position coming into this week, lying second and playing well and feeling good about the game. I just need to come out here and hit the shots and make the most of it.”

As for Bland and Chacarra, they are at opposite ends of the spectrum in regards to their professional experience, but they now share the same goal – build on their first-round 65s and give the top of the leaderboard some new names this weekend. That goes for both the individual and team competition, as Chacarra’s Fireballs GC leads the team standings at 14-under, followed by Bland’s Cleeks GC at 13-under.

Iron Heads, who have local hopes Sadom Kaewkanjana and Phachara Khongwatmai in their ranks, are third at 11-under.

The 49-year-old Bland, whose first win came at the 2021 British Masters in his 478th career start, shot a bogey-free round while finishing with three birdies in his last four holes.

“They put a few of the tees up, and a couple of the stronger par 4s played downwind, which was favourable for me because I’m not one of the long hitters,” said Bland. “You couldn’t design a better course for Bryson [DeChambeau], really.

“But we’re all good players. And obviously because the fairways are so wide, once you’ve got irons in your hands and the greens are quite soft, guys are going to shoot good scores, no matter where you are.”

At 22, Chacarra is the youngest player in this week’s field. He was the world’s No. 2 amateur before turning pro earlier this year to become a LIV Golf member. He’s still looking for his first top 20 finish, although his Fireballs team have finished in the money twice since he joined captain Sergio Garcia’s team.

“I’m living the dream,” Chacarra said. “I’m playing with Sergio. He’s my hero since I was little, and then I got Abraham [Ancer] and Carlo [Ortiz] that are really good friends, and they are helping me as much as they can every week.

“I didn’t play very good the first four weeks and I didn’t help much, so I like helping them and giving them the trust they put on me to be on their team.”

Branden Grace. Andy Lyons

TEAM TALK

In addition to the individual stroke-play competition, players are also competing as four-man teams during LIV Golf events. Starting with Bangkok, the best three scores in each roind will combine to produce the team score. The previous counting-score format was 2-2-3.

“I think 3-3-3 is just better,” said Sihwan Kim of third=placed Iron Heads. “Makes it more exciting for the teams.”

The total team prize money for each event is $5 million, with the winning team dividing $3 million, second place dividing $1.5 million and third place dividing $500,000 among its four team members.

In addition, teams are vying for seeds going into the Team Championship in Miami, the final event of the inaugural season with a $50 million purse. Teams have received points for their finishes in each event, and the top four teams in the points standings after next week’s event in Jeddah receive day one byes in Miami.

Team leaderboard
1. Fireballs, 14-under (Eugenio Chacarra 65, Sergio Garcia 68, Abraham Ancer 69)
2. Cleeks, 13-under (Richard Bland 65, Graeme McDowell 68, Laurie Canter 70)
3. Iron Heads, 11-under (Kevin Na 67, Sihwan Kim 67, Phachara Khongwatmai 71)
T-4. Stinger, 10-under (Branden Grace 65, Charl Schwartzel 70, Shaun Norris, 71)
T-4 Niblicks, 10-under (Harold Varner III 67, James Piot 69, Hudson Swafford 70)
T-4. Majesticks, 10-under (Ian Poulter 66, Lee Westwood 69, Henrik Stenson 71)
T-4. Smash, 10 under (Brooks Koepka 67, Jason Kokrak 69, Peter Uihlein 70)

Ian Poulter. LIV Golf

STATS

Driving accuracy – Ian Poulter, Kevin Na, Graeme McDowell, James Piot, Peter Uihlein, Carlos Ortiz, 100 per cent (14 of 14 fairways)
Driving distance – Bryson DeChambeau, 352.1-yard average
Greens in regulation – Sihwan Kim, 100% (18 of 18 greens)
Fewest putts – Branden Grace, Kevin Na, 24 putts
Most birdies – Ian Poulter, 8
Easiest hole – 584-yard par-5 6th, which played to a stroke average of 4.458.
Hardest hole – 484-yard par-4 8th, which played to a stroke average of 4.104, and the 177-yard par-3 16th, which played to a stroke average of 3.104.
Course stroke average: Rd. 1 (69.625). Par is 72.

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How they stand — the LIV Golf individual standings ahead of fourth event at The International outside Boston

Matt Smith — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 06:41:55 +0000

Dustin Johnson at the LIV Golf Invitational Series Boston. LIV Golf

By Matt Smith
With three events done, and the fourth one beginning on Friday at The International in Bolton, outside Boston, Massachusetts, the individual race is hotting up.

WATCH the LIV Golf action live here!

The inaugural Series includes a season-long points race to crown the Individual Champion. Each of the seven regular-season events will award points based on individual leaderboard results. The top three players in ranking points will receive prize bonuses from the $30 million purse, with the Individual Champion receiving the top bonus of $18 million.

Branden Grace with the LIV Golf Portland trophy

Top 20 through 3 events

1. BRANDEN GRACE 70 points (London 24, Portland 40, Bedminster 6)
2. DUSTIN JOHNSON 54 (London 12, Portland 18, Bedminster 24)
3. CARLOS ORTIZ 48 (Portland 30, Bedminster 18)
4. CHARL SCHWARTZEL 42 (London 40, Bedminster 2)
5. MATTHEW WOLFF 42 (Portland 12, Bedminster 30)
6. HENRIK STENSON 40 (Bedminster 40)
7. PATRICK REED 40 (Portland 24, Bedminster 16)
8. TALOR GOOCH 34 (London 11, Portland 13, Bedminster 10)
9. HENNIE DU PLESSIS 30 (London 30)
10. LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN 25 (London 7, Portland 16, Bedminster 2)
11. SAM HORSFIELD 24 (London 16, Portland 5, Bedminster 3)
12. JUSTIN HARDING 20 (London 8, Portland 11, Bedminster 1)
13. PETER UIHLEIN 18 (London 18)
14. JINICHIRO KOZUMA 17 (London 3, Portland, 14)
15. ADRIAN OTAEGUI 15 (London 14, Portland 1)
16. PAUL CASEY 14 (Bedminster 14)
17. SERGIO GARCIA 14 (London 1, Bedminster 13)
18. LEE WESTWOOD 14 (Portland 3, Bedminster 11)
19. OLIVER BEKKER 13 (London 13)
20. MARTIN KAYMER 13 (London 4, Portland 2, Bedminster 7)

HOW IT WORKS

Here is the individual points system for each regular-season event. First place is worth 40 points, and only the top 24 players — half of the 48-man field — receive points.

IN CASE OF TIES

Unlike for prize money purposes, there are no ties for individual points.
1. Ties per event are decided by one of the following, in the order they appear:
Final round score
Better back-9 (as per the card rather than the player’s finishing 9 holes).
Last 6 holes
Last 3 holes
Final hole
Last 36 holes
2. Total Number of Points Ties for rankings are decided by one of the following, in the order they appear:
Best finish in an event
2nd best finish in an event
3rd best finish in an event
And so on (4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th best finish)

INDIVIDUAL SEASON BONUS PURSE

Only the top three finishers at the end of the seven-event regular season will receive bonuses from the $30 million purse.
1st: $18 million
2nd: $8 million
3rd: $4 million

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Look: The top 10 LIV Golf earners after three events as players get ready for The International in Boston

Matt Smith — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 10:09:36 +0000

By Matt Smith
It is no secret that the LIV Golf players are handsomely rewarded for their efforts. They are paid sums never before seen in golf just for turning up at the 54-hole, no-cut events, with the individual winner taking home $4 million at each competition and the last man pocketing $120,000. And then there is the team aspect, where the winning quartet split another $3 million four ways.

Now we have three tournaments under our belt from the new LIV Golf circuit — Centurion near London, Pumpkin Ridge in Portland, Oregon, and Bedminster, New Jersey — it is interesting to see who leads the way in terms of earnings from the combined individual and team competitions, where a total of $75 million has been paid out.

Obviously tournament winners such as South African duo Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace hog the top of the board, but some consistent performances from the likes of Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed (who has only played two events) are also paying big dividends.

As the players prepare for round 4 at The International in Boston, here is a rundown of the top 10 LIV Golf earners so far:
10: Peter Uihlein: $2,176,000
9: Louis Oosthuizen: $2,816,667
8: Talor Gooch: $3,403,000
7: Carlos Ortiz: $3,425,000
6: Hennie du Plessis: $3,530,000
5: Patrick Reed: $3,750,000
4: Henrik Stenson: $4,375,000
3: Dustin Johnson: $5,212,500
2: Charl Schwartzel: $5,491,000
1: Branden Grace: $6,918,333

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LIV Golf Invitational Series update: First three events bring a party atmosphere to England and US

Matt Smith — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 05:17:23 +0000

By Matt Smith
On Thursday June 9, 2022, history was made as the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter teed it up for the inaugural Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series event — the first of eight tournaments this year offering a total purse of $250 million and dangling a $4 million carrot to each individual winner.

It all got under way at Centurion Club, just outside London, with a 2.15pm shotgun start in leafy St Albans.

LIV Golf Invitational Series at Centurion Club

This was a tournament more akin to an F1 afternoon in Abu Dhabi rather than a normal PGA or DP World Tour event.

The shotgun start, festival park and full-on access to the players gave fans an unprecedented experience. There were airshows, competitions, activations, golf sims and DJs. There were after-game concerts each night with some big names such as James Morrison, James Bay Jessie J and Craig David rocking the summer sunsets.

Charl Schwartzel was the toast of London as he went home with a collective $4.75 million in his pocket and it was a bit of a South African party in England as the Louis Oosthuizen Stingers team block-booked the podium.

Schwartzel took top spot, holding off the unheralded Hennie du Plessis by a stroke on seven-under. Fellow Stinger and South African Branden Grace took third spot.

Oosthuizen, who himself finished a tidy T10, joked on the podium: “This is why a captain is so important. None of them would be here if it wasn’t for me.”

LIV Golf was well and truly rolling and from London, the series made its first foray into the United States at the beginning of July with its second event staged at Pumpkin Ridge, Portland, in Oregon.

Branden Grace with the LIV Golf Portland trophy

Again it was a South African celebration in the festival-style atmosphere as Grace shot 65 in the final round for the biggest pay day of his 15-year professional career — and the individual title. His 13-under total for the 54-hole event was two strokes better than Carlos Ortiz, with Patrick Reed and Dustin Johnson finishing another two strokes back.

Johnson’s 4 Aces GC claimed the team title at 23-under, seven strokes ahead of Stinger.

In winning, Grace claimed the $4 million individual prize, as well as a quarter-share of the $1.5 million second-place prize won by Stinger, making his total payout Saturday at $4.375 million. For the two LIV Golf events, he’s now won $6.4 million.

“I played with DJ at London as well on the Sunday and played really nicely, and just kind of found a groove,” said Grace after winning for the 15th time as a pro. “I’ve been feeling really comfortable. I’ve been hitting the shots that I see and things like that, and that’s really important and gives you the confidence.”

Although Johnson didn’t make the individual podium – he lost the third-place tiebreaker to Reed – he was happy to see his 4 Aces romp to the team title. The other two members are Talor Gooch and Pat Perez and, like all 48 players, they loved the atmosphere at this revolutionary event.

“The fans were electric from start to finish,” Johnson said. “I mean, there was a ton of energy out there. Branden played unbelievable and deserved everything with the way he played. But I thought the fans and the crowd were absolutely amazing.”

Henrik Stenson

The drama certainly did not let up as we arrived at Bedminster, New Jersey, where Henrik Stenson capped a brilliant weekend with victory on his debut — a matter of days after he was stripped of the Ryder Cup captaincy.

The Swede claimed a two-stroke victory over Matthew Wolff, while DJ’s 4 Aces were strong enough for back-to-back wins in the team event.

“I’m super-proud of the focus I managed to have this week,” said Stenson after his famous win. “I’ve been working really hard to get my game back in shape, and it’s certainly going in the right direction as we know now.”

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LIV Golf teams revealed as Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces look to defend title in Bedminster

Matt Smith — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 12:26:55 +0000

By Matt Smith
The 12 teams set to compete at the third LIV Golf Invitational Series event at Bedminster, New Jersey are now set.

Dustin Johnson’s all-American 4 Aces took the glory at Portland last time out and the former world No. 1 will once again team up with Talor Gooch, Pat Perez and Patrick Reed to defend their title.

Among the 48 LIV Golf players are debutants Paul Casey, Jason Kokrak, Charles Howell III and former Ryder Cup captain Henrik Stenson.

LIV Golf’s third event of the season is taking place July 29-31 at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey — the new series’ second event in the US following the inaugural tournament at Centurion just outside London, and the second competition at Pumpkin Ridge, Oregon.

The LIV Golf Invitational Series features teams of four where players compete as individuals and teams for both points and prize money. Captains and teams are finalised the week of each event, as each tournament in LIV Golf’s first season may showcase a different field.

At Centurion Club, the South African ensemble at Stinger — captain Louis Oosthuizen and fellow South Africans Charl Schwartzel, Hennie du Plessis and Branden Grace, took first place with a total score of 20-under, and Schwartzel claimed the individual glory. While Johnson’s 4 Aces triumphed in Portland, it was another Stinger, Grace, who came out on top in the individual event and took home the $4 million top prize.

MORE: LIV Golf Bedminster: Ready for Round 3
Stenson defends LIV Golf decision
Top agents still calling me: LIV Golf’s Greg Norman

LIV Golf layout for Bedminster

MEET THE TEAMS

4 ACES
The all-American team captained by Dustin Johnson won by seven strokes in Portland after a line-up revision. Newcomers Patrick Reed and Pat Perez were added to the team for Portland while Talor Gooch moved over from Torque. Reed and Johnson tied for third individually, with Reed claiming the podium spot via tiebreaker. Johnson (T6), Gooch (T34) and Reed (T47) all made the cut at the recent 150th Open Championship at St Andrews.

CLEEKS
Captain Martin Kaymer has three new teammates, including former Niblicks captain Graeme McDowell, for his all-European team. Kaymer (Germany) and McDowell (Northern Ireland) have each won a US Open and also have delivered the clinching putts for Europe in the Ryder Cup (McDowell in 2010, Kaymer in 2012). Englishman Laurie Canter joins the team after playing for Majesticks in the first two events. Spain’s David Puig, ranked ninth in the world amateur rankings, played for Fireballs in London.

Paul Casey. David Cannon

CRUSHERS
Paul Casey and Charles Howell III make their LIV Golf debuts in Bedminster by joining captain Bryson DeChambeau’s team. Casey and Howell add plenty of experience, combining for 1,100-plus worldwide starts in their professional careers. DeChambeau and Shaun Norris are the two carryovers from Portland, where DeChambeau made his LIV Golf debut and assumed captain’s duties, finishing solo 10th.

FIREBALLS
The all-Spanish speaking team captained by Sergio Garcia remains intact for Bedminster. Thanks to a birdie by Carlos Ortiz on the final hole, Fireballs broke a tie with Torque to claim the $500,000 team prize for third place in Portland. Ortiz and Abraham Ancer played for Mexico in the Tokyo Olympics, while Garcia played for Spain at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Former amateur star Eugenio Chacarra of Spain made his pro debut in Portland, finishing T-27. Ancer (T-11) and Garcia (T-68) made the cut at the Open Championship.

HY FLYERS
Justin Harding, one of the most consistent performers in the first two LIV Golf events, returns to captain Phil Mickelson’s team. Harding tied for 10th in London while playing for Hy Flyers, then tied for eighth in Portland with Crushers. Matthew Wolff and Bernd Wiesberger remain on the team. Wolff tied for eighth in his LIV Golf debut in Portland.

IRON HEADS
Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent will join his third different team after playing for Smashers in London and Cleeks in Portland. Captain Kevin Na and Sadom Kaewkanjana have been the constants for Iron Heads in all three events, with Phachara Khongwatmai joining the team in Portland. Kaewkanjana comes in with momentum after finishing T-11 at the Open Championship — the best finish ever by a Thai player in that major.

Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia. LIV Golf

MAJESTICKS
Major winner and Olympic medallist Henrik Stenson makes his LIV Golf debut in Bedminster by joining captain Lee Westwood’s team. Stenson becomes the team’s first non-English golfer, replacing Laurie Canter, now with Cleeks. Stenson, Westwood and teammate Ian Poulter have combined to make nearly 1,900 worldwide starts in their careers. Majesticks took third place in London and eighth in Portland.

NIBLICKS
Hudson Swafford becomes captain of the new all-American team. Swafford, who played for Torque in London before joining Niblicks in Portland, takes over for Graeme McDowell (now with Cleeks). Peter Uihlein, formerly of Crushers, joins the team, while Turk Pettit returns to the team after playing for Cleeks in Portland. Uihlein joins teammate James Piot as past winners of the US Amateur.

PUNCH
Travis Smyth joins the all-Australian team captained by Wade Ormsby. Smyth will appear on his third different team, having played for Crushers in London and Niblicks in Portland. Smyth, from New South Wales, replaces fellow Aussie Blake Windred. Matt Jones (T16) was the team’s top performer in Portland.

SMASH
New LIV Golf member Jason Kokrak joins the team captained by Brooks Koepka. The big-hitting Kokrak has won three tournaments since October 2020 and will add a powerful presence off the tee. Smash finished sixth in Koepka’s debut in Portland, with all four players finishing inside the top 30. Chase Koepka played for Hy Flyers in London before joining his brother in Portland.

The Stinger team and their families in London. LIV Golf

STINGER
The all-South African team captained by Louis Oosthuizen has been the most successful in the first two LIV Golf events, winning by 14 strokes in London and finishing second in Portland. Stinger players also have won each of the first two individual trophies with Charl Schwartzel (London) and Branden Grace (Portland). Each of the four members has finished inside the top five in at least one of the first two events.

TORQUE
The all-Japanese team captained by Hideto Tanihara finished fourth in Portland, just one stroke off the podium. Jinichiro Kozuma was the team’s top performer, placing solo sixth in the individual standings and ranking as the second-best putter among all 48 players in the field. Yuki Inamori, making his LIV Golf debut in Portland, tied for 10th, while Tanihara and Ryosuke Kinoshita also finished inside the top 24.

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WATCH: Highlights of the dramatic finale to LIV Golf Invitational Series — Portland

Matt Smith — Sun, 03 Jul 2022 14:15:28 +0000

By Matt Smith
Take a look at the dramatic final day of the second LIV Golf Invitational Series event at Portland, Oregon, where South Africa’s Branden Grace overhauled Dustin Johnson and Carlos Ortiz to claim the top prize, and DJ’s Four Aces claimed the team title.

[parone_video_player campaign=”302″ defaultlang=”en” feed=”51-all-videos”/]

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LIV Golf Invitational Series — Portland: Branden Grace keeps the South African run going at Portland to upstage Dustin Johnson

Matt Smith — Sun, 03 Jul 2022 09:55:13 +0000

By Matt Smith
For the second consecutive LIV Golf Invitational, it was a South African celebration as Branden Grace shot 65 in the final round. In London, it produced a third-place podium finish for the 35-year-old, behind compatriots Charl Schwartzel and Hennie du Plessis. In Portland, it resulted in the biggest payday of his 15-year professional career.

Grace’s seven-under 65 on Saturday at Pumpkin Ridge gave him the individual title at the LIV Golf Invitational Portland. His 13-under total for the 54-hole event was two strokes better than Carlos Ortiz, with Patrick Reed and Dustin Johnson finishing another two strokes back.

Watch Day 3 highlights below

[parone_video_player campaign=”302″ defaultlang=”en” feed=”51-all-videos”/]

Johnson’s 4 Aces GC claimed the team title at 23-under, seven strokes ahead of Stinger GC, the winning team in London. Thanks to Ortiz’s birdie on the final hole, Fireballs GC took third place and the final money position, one stroke ahead of Torque GC.

Grace has found his form since joining LIV Golf. He follows countryman Schwartzel in the winner’s circle, with Schwartzel having claimed the inaugural event at Centurion Club.

In winning, Grace claimed the $4 million individual prize, as well as a quarter-share of the $1.5 million second-place prize won by Stinger GC, making his total payout Saturday at $4.375 million. For the two LIV Golf events, he’s now won $6.4 million.

“I played with DJ at London, as well, on the Sunday and played really nicely, and just kind of found a groove,” said Grace after winning for the 15th time as a pro. “I’ve been feeling really comfortable. I’ve been hitting the shots that I see and things like that, and that’s really important and gives you the confidence.

“Today was nothing different. From the first hole I hit the ball great. I made a couple of nice putts when it mattered, and obviously things go your way when you win a golf tournament.”

Ortiz and Johnson simply couldn’t keep up. Ortiz, who at one point held a five-shot lead, shot a three-under 69, while Johnson shot a one-under 71.

“Obviously Branden played really well,” Johnson said. “But I did get it back to where I was within one with six or seven holes to go, and then he decided to go on a little tear there birdieing every hole coming in.”

Debutant Ortiz from Mexico enjoyed the vibe in playing in the last group. He said he fed off the energy from the fans at Pumpkin Ridge.

“They were unbelievable — I didn’t even know there were that many Mexicans in Portland,” joked Ortiz. “It was unbelievable. I haven’t had that many opportunities to be in final groups maybe like DJ, but it was crazy from the beginning. Both sides of the fairway were full of people, until the end, putting the ropes behind us. It was great. Being able to fight it out with Gracey, we were kind of in there until he decided to just keep going and left us behind. It was awesome. We had a great time.”

An ???????? final day in Portland

Catch all the highlights from today's action https://t.co/VEzTMKR3GT #LIVGolf

— LIV Golf (@LIVGolfInv) July 3, 2022

Although Johnson didn’t make the individual podium – he lost the third-place tiebreaker to Reed – he was happy to see his 4 Aces GC romp to the team title. The other two members are Talor Gooch, whose two-under 70 score counted, and Pat Perez, whose eight-over 80 on Saturday did not contribute to the team score. Perez shot a three-under 69 on Thursday to help the 4 Aces get out to an early tournament lead.

“The fans were electric from start to finish,” Johnson said. “I mean, there was a ton of energy out there, obviously coming down 17 and 18. Would have liked to have been a little bit closer to Branden finishing, but obviously he played unbelievable today and deserved everything with the way he played. But I thought the fans and the crowd were absolutely amazing.”

LIV Golf returns to action July 29-31 at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey.

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The post LIV Golf Invitational Series — Portland: Branden Grace keeps the South African run going at Portland to upstage Dustin Johnson appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.