Branden Grace continued the South African domination in LIV Invitational Series, winning the Portland tournament by two shots following the low round of the tournament – a seven-under par 65.
Birdies on 15th, 16th and 17th holes gave him a three-shot cushion coming up the difficult par-4 18th hole of Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club. However, a solid par ensured his win at 13-under par and the winning cheque of $4 million as he finished two shots of LIV debutant Carlos Ortiz of Mexico, who sank a 45-footer birdie putt on the final hole to reduce the margin of victory.
The inaugural LIV event in London was won by Grace’s compatriot Charl Schwartzel.
Team Captain Dustin Johnson (2nd R), Pat Perez (L), Talor Gooch (2nd L) and Patrick Reed (R) of 4 Aces GC celebrate with the team championship trophy during day three of the LIV Golf Invitational – Portland. (Photo by Jamie Squire/LIV Golf via Asian Tour/Getty Images)
Grace’s team, the all-South African quartet Stinger, could not replicate the win at Centurion Club and finished second. The team championship was bagged by the Dustin Johnson-led 4 Aces GC, which benefited from a sparkling round of five-under par 67 by Patrick Reed.
Reed’s round included a late eagle on the 17th hole and a birdie on the 18th. A lip-out denied him a birdie on his closing hole, the first of the course, which could have edged him a shot ahead of Johnson in solo third place. Both the Americans, past Masters champions, were tied third at 9-under par.
Another South African, Justin Harding, was the best-placed member of the Asian Tour, tied for the eighth place at two-under par after being inside the top-5 for most part of the final round. A double bogey on the 15th followed by a bogey on the 16th saw him slip late in the round.
“I played a really good round of golf and hit just two bad shots. And that penalised me with a double and a bogey. It’s what it is. I am happy with the way I am playing, but this could have been so much better,” said Harding, who finished second in the 2018 Order of Merit.
Order of Merit leader Sihwan Kim did not have the best final round, but despite a three-over 75, he finished on tied 11th place with birdies on the 17th and 18th holes.
“I did not hit the ball as well as I did yesterday and I also thought that luck was not on my side. Every time it was a close call, I always ended up on the wrong side,” said Kim, who was tied 43rd in London.
Starting the round two shots behind his playing partners Ortiz and Johnson in the leading group, the 34-year-old Branden Grace turned it around with a fantastic birdie on the toughest hole of the golf course – the long, par-4 13th. A perfect fade with the driver was followed by a superb four-iron to 15 feet, and he made the putt.
“I thought I played pretty flawless. And that birdie on the 13th was the key,” said Branden Grace, who had also closed with a 65 in London to finish third in the inaugural LIV event.
“When I needed to do something special, I managed to pull it out. It was just a great day, and the crowd was fantastic. I have never felt like this before with everyone shouting ‘Grace, Grace’. I guess this is how Tiger (Woods) feels when he plays. Everybody here is having a blast.”
With three birdies in his first four holes, Mexico’s 31-year-old Ortiz had opened a four-shot lead at the stage, but he cooled down after that and could only add another birdie on the 18th hole.
Branden Grace was hitting the ball well from the beginning of his round, but every aspect of his game was spot on in the second nine. And when he got into trouble, like on the 16th hole with his second shot, he managed to chip in for another birdie from an improbable position with hardly any green to use.
World No17 Johnson, the highest-ranked player in the field, struggled early in his round and finished with a one-under par 71 round.
The LIV Invitational Golf moves next to the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, for the third event from July 29-31. England’s Paul Casey was announced as LIV’s latest signing and he is expected to become a part of captain Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers team there.
