With his defense of the Open Championship coming up in two weeks’ time, Cameron Smith appears to have peaked at the right time. Friday’s opening round at LIV Golf London is the latest proof.
The Ripper GC captain fired a bogey-free 8-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead over teammate Mark Leishman as LIV Golf returns to Centurion Club, host course to last year’s inaugural tournament. RangeGoats GC’s Thomas Peters was third on his own, three strokes back, while fellow hotshot Talor Gooch is in a three-way tie for fourth with HyFlyers GC’s Cameron Triangle and Majestics GC’s Laurie Kanter.
Thanks to Smith and Lichman, the all-Australian Reapers lead the team at 13-under, with the RangeGoats at 10-under. Home favorite Majesticks sits alone in 3rd place with an age of 8 less.
Neither Australian top-of-the-line competed at the Centurion Club last year, but both looked comfortable on a sunny day outside London.
“There wasn’t a lot of bad stuff there, to be honest,” said Smith, who posted the only stealth-free round on Friday. “…I feel like I’ve been in this kind of trend for a few months now.”
Smith has finished 12th or better in his last seven starts, including top 10s at the PGA Championship and US Open. Although he is yet to win in 2023, Smith is building a lot of momentum on his way to Liverpool FC.
“I think any tournament Cam gets into, he’s definitely a tough competitor,” said Lishman. “I think playing this week will help him. I feel like the wind is very different in England and Scotland. It’s a lot heavier. Getting used to it is very important.”
Smith sailed the first six holes, the hardest stretch in Centurion, at 1-under. Starting on the ninth hole, he birdied seven of the next nine holes before settling for par for the fifteenth. The big difference on Friday, he said, was coinciding more with caddy Sam Pinfold.
“Sam and I worked really great today, and it was probably the first time in a long time where we hung out and actually talked through a few takes,” said Smith. “Maybe something was kind of a missing piece in the puzzle. It would have been nice to know those things before another big tournament kicked off.”
Leishman has struggled to find consistency this season but started hot on Friday. After getting to par on the opening, 12th hole, he holeshot six of the next seven holes before hitting the hardest part of the course.
“I’m thrilled to finally get the score on the board,” said Lishman. “It’s been a long time.”
The two will play in the leading group on Saturday with Peters. But the group ahead of them will include golfer Gooch’s hotter LIV, who won his third tournament of the season last week in Andalusia and opened Friday with four birdies on his first five holes en route to a season-ending 11th round on his target. A score of 67 or better.
“It was a good day, this golf course is not as easy as Cam just made it,” said Gooch, who has won the last three LIV golf tournaments held outside the US.
|