Talor Gooch went deep during the opening round of LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club to lead by four after the event’s first 18 holes.
He played his opening 10 holes 4 under after starting his round on the par-3 12th, and then got hot. Gooch made birdies on Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 coming home and signed for a first-round bogey-free 10-under 62. The 31-year-old doesn’t have a top-10 finish in three LIV starts so far this season but is in prime position to make a run at his first title on the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit.
Four shots behind Gooch are Richard Bland and Dean Burmester at 6 under. Burmester’s highlight of the day came at the par-4 eighth where he made eagle, while Bland, like Gooch, kept blemishes off his card and signed for a bogey-free day.
Five players are tied for fourth at 5 under and eight are tied for ninth at 4 under.
Cam Smith finishing the round with a tip of the cap 🎩#LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/l4Aqd6eH54
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) April 21, 2023
As for big names, Cam Smith and Brooks Koepka both sit at 3 under, T-17. Phil Mickelson is tied for 24th at 2 under while Dustin Johnson sits T-29, 1 under.