The two best players on the court at the LIV Golf event in Chicago are still the top two players after 36 holes. However, they switched places on Saturday. Dustin Johnson followed him 63 on Friday in Round 1 with 73 on Saturday – his first round of over-par at LIV Golf – and fell 8 under. He is Cameron Smith’s two defenders, who assisted his 66 in Round 1 with a 68 in Round 2 to go down 10 under and take the lead going into Sunday’s final.
Smith and Johnson are pretty much the best in the field, and they dominated the first two days of LIV’s first event in Chicago (or at least its first event). nearby Chicago). They will be the two to beat it on Sunday when they play in the last group starting from the first hole.
The task ahead for Johnson is formidable. Smith is the defending Player champion and Open Championship winner, and in his three wins this year, he shot 65-66-64 in those final rounds. The DJ is looking for his second straight LIV win, but his play has been inconsistent so far this week with one inning in the low 60th minute and the other flying by. It’s not clear what’s in store for Sunday, and Smith is the only player on the field to shoot 68 or better in each of the first two innings.
“Today was tough, I think I took a couple of breaks and the DJ didn’t put the putts he usually does,” Smith said. “
When asked if there was any part of his game that needed to be worked on on Sunday, Smith declined.
“Honestly, it all feels pretty good.”
All looked pretty good too. Smith went out for 32 before making an early hit on the back, which he cleared with two birdies on his last two holes. When he drives it correctly – which he took part in for the most part on Saturday – he is probably the best player in the world. Every other part of his game is world class.
Fittingly, DJ’s team (4 Aces) and Smith’s team (Punch GC) are also vying for the top spot in this week’s team competition. For the first time since LIV began, DJ’s scores are not used for his team – only the top two scores are used in the first two days – but Pat Perez (-1) and Patrick Reed ( -3) picked him Saturday. 4 Ace is -15, one shot ahead of Punch GC, using Smith’s 4 under 68 and Matt Jones’ even 72.
For those who can challenge Smith and Johnson on Sunday, the list isn’t long. Peter Uihlein took the best turn of the day on Saturday to slide to third at 7 under 7, and he’s behind Smith and one behind Johnson. In addition, Laurie Canter and Charl Schwartzel are under 6, and Bryson DeChambeau, Charles Howell III and Lee Westwood are all under 5.
Sunday will likely be Friday and Saturday: the $4 million Johnson-Smith showdown and the fifth LIV Golf title of the year. LIV Golf has been criticized (correctly) on many fronts, but there’s no denying this week that it’s the tournament that offers a powerful clash on Sunday between two of the top 10 players on the planet right now. in. While it’s still difficult to determine what either win will mean as it involves the bigger picture, it will be an interesting 18-hole final as Smith and Johnson try to win. do what they did for the first 36 holes of this tournament: stay ahead of the rest of the pack.
Personal achievement table
1. Orange Smith: -10
2. Dustin Johnson: -8
3. Peter Uihlein: -7
T4. Charl Schwartzel: -6
T4. Laurie Canter: -6
T6. Bryson DeChambeau: -5
T6. Lee Westwood: -5
T6. Charles Howell III: -5
