From a Correspondent
Singapore: Not even a weather delay could cool off Talor Gooch’s red-hot stretch of golf, as last week’s LIV Golf Adelaide winner grabbed the first-round lead for the second consecutive week.
Gooch’s bogey-free seven-under 64 gave him a one-shot advantage after Friday’s opening round of LIV Golf Singapore presented by Resorts World Sentosa.
His closest pursuers were Sergio Garcia, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith and Cameron Tringale, with Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Louis Oosthuizen two shots back.
It’s a leaderboard stacked with big names at the top, as eight major winners are inside the top 12 at Sentosa Golf Club.
They’re all chasing Gooch, the RangeGoats GC star who opened with record-setting 10-under 62s in the first two rounds at Adelaide en route to his first LIV Golf individual victory.
“There’s no pixie dust I’ve thrown on the clubs the last couple weeks,” Gooch said. “It’s just the game comes and goes in waves, and hopefully we can continue to ride this wave for as long as we can and play a bunch of good golf.”
Leading the team leaderboard are HyFlyers GC after their best result of the season, a fourth-place finish in Adelaide.
Tringale’s six-under 65 was the team’s best score, with captain Phil Mickelson (66) and James Piot (70) in support for the 12 under cumulative score.
The South African Stinger GC are one stroke behind at 11 under, with Ripper GC, Smash GC and the RangeGoats tied for third at nine under.
Leading the way
“It’s fun to see our captain playing so well,” Tringale said of Mickelson, the six-time major champion who earlier this month tied for second at the Masters. “This golf course is fun. A lot can happen quickly.”
Friday’s round was delayed after 12 holes due to severe weather in the area. The lengthy delay did not slow down Gooch, who birdied the par-4 13th before finishing his round with an eagle at the par-5 18th when his second shot from 253 yards finished inside 30 feet.
Gooch was 20 under through 36 holes last week in Adelaide, and entered the final round with a 10-shot lead. Given the bunched-up leaderboard behind him, Gooch is not concentrating on leads but just wants to maintain his good play.
“I have a buddy of mine that has been like a mentor to me since I was 10,” Gooch said, “and he always said, ‘In golf, the penthouse and the outhouse are always right around the corner from each other.’
“You try not to get too high or too low when things are too good or aren’t good.
“You’ve got to earn it. 62s and 64s don’t just happen, and just because you’re confident doesn’t mean it’s going to happen again.” (courtesy livgolf.com)
Day 1 team scores
1. HyFlyers GC (-12): Cameron Tringale 65, Phil Mickelson 66, James Piot 70
2. Stinger GC (-11): Louis Oosthuizen 66, Charl Schwartzel 69, Dean Burmester 69
T3. Ripper GC (-9): Cameron Smith 65, Marc Leishman 69, Matt Jones 70
T3 RangeGoats GC (-9): Talor Gooch 64, Bubba Watson 70, Thomas Pieters 70
T3. Smash GC (-9): Brooks Koepka 65, Jason Kokrak 67, Chase Koepka 72
T6. Iron Heads GC (-8): Kevin Na 68, Danny Lee 68, Scott Vincent 69
T6. 4Aces GC (-8): Patrick Reed 67, Dustin Johnson 69, Peter Uihlein 69
T8. Torque GC (-6): Mito Pereira 67, David Puig 70, Joaquin Niemann 70
T8. Crushers GC (-6): Bryson DeChambeau 66, Charles Howell III 69, Anirban Lahiri 72
10. Fireballs GC (-5): Sergio Garcia 65, Eugenio Chacarra 71, Abraham Ancer 72
11. Majesticks GC (-4): Henrik Stenson 69, Laurie Canter 70, Lee Westwood 70
12. Cleeks GC (even par): Richard Bland 70, Bernd Wiesberger 71, Martin Kaymer 72
Also read: Lahiri charge falls just short as Gooch takes Adelaide win
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