LIV Golf Portland 2022: Dustin Johnson, Carlos Ortiz Tied for Lead After Round 2 | Bleacher Report
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Jamie Squire/LIV Golf via Getty Images
Dustin Johnson and Carlos Ortiz are tied for first following the second round in the LIV Golf International Series event at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Oregon.
Branden Grace is two shots back in third, with Justin Harding in fourth at five under. Brooks Koepka is one of five golfers tied for fifth at four under.
After the first round, Ortiz was one shot ahead of Johnson. The tables quickly turned as Johnson went five under on the front nine.
Ortiz managed to remain within striking distance, and that proved beneficial as Johnson sputtered toward the end of the round.
Ortiz grabbed a share of the lead with a birdie on No. 18 before making his way to the clubhouse. Johnson had an opportunity to reclaim sole possession of first place but watched his birdie putt roll left.
Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau are making their maiden voyage with LIV Golf at Pumpkin Ridge.
Starting from the second hole, Koepka double-bogeyed No. 3 to get his round started on the wrong foot. He quickly righted the ship with birdies on Nos. 5 and 8. The four-time major champion then caught fire down the stretch. Birdies on the 14th and 15th holes were followed by an eagle on No. 17, which put him only one shot off Johnson.
Just when Koepka was rolling, he found the water with an approach on No. 18. A bogey knocked him back into third, and his bad luck continued as a double-bogey might have removed him from the title hunt.
DeChambeau, who didn’t do enough to recover from an even-par 72 on Thursday, isn’t having a memorable LIV debut. He’s three under for the tournament, and closing the five-shot gap on Johnson and Ortiz will be difficult.
Charl Schwartzel won LIV Golf’s inaugural tournament outside of London in June, so joining the breakaway tour has already been a success. His odds of going back to back were dealt a big blow when he went two over Thursday. A one-over 73 added to his lackluster showing.
Phil Mickelson looked rusty in his return to competitive golf at Centurion Club when he finished 34th in the 48-man field. Then he missed the cut in the U.S. Open.
Mickelson’s fortunes haven’t improved much at Pumpkin Ridge. He’s tied for 34th at five over.
Pat Perez earned himself a new fan on the 11th hole. His approach sailed to the right and struck a member of the gallery. After sinking his par putt, Perez made it up to the fan.
Thanks to the efforts of Johnson and Perez, 4 Aces GC has a solid lead in the team standings. At 15 under, they’re four shots up on Stinger GC.
The third round will get underway with a shotgun start at 1:15 p.m. PT.
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