Talor Gooch ties RECORD, Australian team struggles at LIV Golf Adelaide

American Talor Gooch matched a LIV Golf record Friday as the Australian Ripper GC struggled in the first round of LIV Golf Adelaide.

Lara Kuipers

21 Apr 2023

Australian Cameron Smith and his team couldn't quite get things going during the first round of LIV Golf Adelaide - its first Australian stop - while American Talor Gooch tied a LIV Golf record in the league's fourth event of 2023.

Smith, the World No. 6, is the captain of the all-Australian Ripper GC. In LIV Golf's first trip to the country, the home crew came up well-short of expectations.

The team, made up of Smith, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, and Jediah Morgan, were tied for last after the first round of LIV Golf Adelaide with a combined score of 4-under par.

The Cleeks GC, captained by Martin Kaymer, were leading at 16-under par.

Ripper GC's Morgan, who was 47th in the 48-player field after 18 holes, shot a 4-over 76.

And no one else on the home team could go low around the greens at The Grange Golf Club in South Australia, despite being the clear favourites.

While speaking to media following his round, Smith, the reigning Open champion, was asked about the crowd.

He said it was a "pretty epic day" while also admitting it took a bit of a toll.

"Yeah, like I said, it's really enjoyable, but at the same time it's quite tiring, so you've just got to really focus on what you're trying to do. Golf is the main priority out here."

Leishman was at 1-under par, Jones was even, and while Smith had the best score on his team at 3-under, even he was still seven strokes back of round one leader Gooch.

Gooch, the former 4 Aces player who was dropped by Dustin Johnson's team in the off-season, found great success in Australia, shooting a 10-under 62 to open up the tournament with a four-stroke lead over Dean Burmester and Richard Bland.

His 62 matched the lowest score in LIV Golf's short history. It was also previously recorded by Lee Westwood, Brooks Koepka, and Sebastian Munoz. Gooch's best previous finish in the LIV Golf series was sixth, back at LIV Golf Boston in 2022. He credited part of his low score on Friday to feeling comfortable at The Grange.

Speaking to reporters following his round, Gooch said:

"Yeah, like I said, it feels a lot like home in the type of golf that we play, just the grasses are similar and the type of shots you hit. Yeah, it feels comfortable, and it's something that I'm familiar with."

Gooch's former teammate, Pat Perez was a part of the group at 5-under in a tie for fourth.

Elsewhere on the course were The Masters runner-ups, Koepka, and Phil Mickelson, who were at 3-under par and 2-under par, respectively.

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