Koepka stays bogey free to take two-shot lead at LIV Golf Jeddah

By Sports Desk October 14, 2022

Brooks Koepka holds a two-stroke lead of LIV Golf Jeddah after finishing the opening round eight under par in Saudi Arabia.

The four-time major champion made eight birdies in his round of 62 and did not go over par on any hole to head into the weekend ahead of second-placed Charl Schwartzel, while Patrick Reed is tied for third with Hideto Tanihara and Peter Uihlein at three shots off the lead.

The inaugural individual LIV Golf champion Dustin Johnson is T16 on two under par, alongside Open champion and world number two Cameron Smith.

Johnson, who has collected 121 points across the season, struck five birdies, but a double-bogey on the par-three eighth set him back.

Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood fared slightly better at three under, the latter not carding any bogies in his round.

LIV Golf Bangkok winner Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra struggled to back up his performance in Thailand and is T28 at one under par, seven shots back from Koepka. Bryson DeChambeau, meanwhile, only managed a par 70.

After withdrawing from LIV Golf Bangkok with injury, Branden Grace carded a one-over-par round on his return to action.

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    With the scoring average at Colonial Country Club rising to more than one over par in the third round as the greens toughened up, Hall opened with a three-stroke lead and five straight pars before he hit trouble – an errant approach at the sixth and an iron into a muddy creek at the seventh leading to a pair of sixes.

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    “I’m never going to stop fighting,” Hall said. “I’m always going to keep trying.

    “This game brings you new challenges every day and I’m equipped to deal with them. I think I showed that today, I kept a lot of patience and I kept to my game plan.”

    “I’m ready. Just get on the green and make some putts.”

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    American Justin Suh and Emiliano Grillo of Argentina are three strokes further back with Viktor Hovland among a group on five under par.

    England’s Aaron Rai shot a third round 67 to be tied for 10th in a group on four under par which includes world number one Scottie Scheffler after his 72, a score matched by Justin Rose who is a shot further back.

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    Hall followed his opening round 62 with a 66 as he moved to 12 under par, three clear of American Harris English who lit up his round of 66 with a hole in one at the eighth hole at the Colonial Country Club at Fort Worth, Texas.

    Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo is a shot further back after a best of the day round of 65.

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    That run was ended with a bogey at the third, but he birded the seventh and holed his second attempt to escape a greenside bunker at the eighth after plugging into the side.

    English fared much better at the 170-yard eighth where he produced the first ace at the hole since Jim Furyk in 2011.

    Adam Schenk, Byeong Hun An and Robby Shelton were tied for fourth, a stroke behind Grillo and one ahead of Andrew Novak and world number one Scottie Scheffler, who lost in a play-off 12 months ago and had his second consecutive round of 67.

    Justin Rose, who won at Colonial five years ago, was tied for ninth at 5 under after a bogey-free 66.

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    He picked up eight birdies without dropping a shot and managed to save par from 15 and 30 feet.

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