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Agence France-Presse

A nerveless Jinichiro Kozuma fired seven birdies and an eagle in a sizzling nine-under-par 63 on Friday to upstage the big guns in round one of LIV Golf’s Adelaide leg.
The former Japan Tour stalwart’s putter was on fire in front of large, boisterous crowds at the par-72 Grange Golf Club to take a one-stroke lead from New Zealand’s Danny Lee and Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz.
Chile’s Mito Pereira, India’s Anirban Lahiri and Americans Peter Uihlein and Andy Ogletree were a shot further back.
Last year’s Masters champion Jon Rahm, playing the course for the first time after joining LIV this year, finished strongly with consecutive birdies to be four adrift and lurking as a major threat.

“Today my putter was really hot. I had some troubles here and there, but my putting was there to help me get through,” said Kozuma, who is in his first year on the Saudi-backed circuit.
“It’s my first time here and I wanted to play really well in front of my family and I got to do that.”
Under LIV’s shotgun start format, where 18 groups of three players tee off simultaneously on different holes, Kozuma began on the par-four 15th with a birdie and never looked back.
He went to the turn as the outright leader after six birdies on the front nine, with an eagle at his 11th propelling him into a two-shot lead.
Lee, playing alongside Kozuma, overcame a bogey start to produce seven birdies in his next 11 holes before a sensational eagle from the bunker drew him level.
But the Japanese star responded with another birdie to hold off a charging pack, led by Lee and Ortiz, who mixed nine birdies with a bogey.

Rahm rolled in five birdies in six holes to race up the leaderboard, but stumbled with consecutive bogeys at the 14th and 15th before a strong finish.
“If I could have avoided those mistakes, it could have shaped up to be a really good round,” said the Spanish former world No 1. “But I did the job and kind of bounced back and finished strong.”
Fellow major winners Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith, who both tied for sixth at the Masters this month, were five shots off the lead.
LIV supremo Greg Norman this week called Adelaide the blueprint that all other events should aspire to after a successful debut last season.
And the course was again heaving with fans lapping up the atmosphere.
The biggest cheers were at the par-three “party hole” 12th, crammed with 5,000 fans fuelled by alcohol and pumping music who got louder as the day wore on.
It was the scene of LIV’s first-ever hole-in-one last year when Chase Koepka hit a perfect drive to spark raucous celebrations.
No one managed to repeat the feat, although Henrik Stenson and Tyrrell Hatton had the crowd on their feet when both went within a whisker.
At the 14th, Australia’s Matt Jones, South Africa’s Branden Grace and Belgium’s Thomas Pieters all came within millimetres of an ace.


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LIV Golf

LIV Golf Adelaide: Japan’s Kozuma steals spotlight with birdie blitz at the Grange as Rahm lurks

Jon Rahm hits his approach into the second green during the first round of LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club. Photo: LIV Golf

Jinichiro Kozuma lines up a putt on the 12th green during the first round of LIV Golf Adelaide. Photo: LIV Golf

Spectators watch on the 12th hole at the Grange Golf Club. Photo: LIV Golf

Entertainment, star names, culture: Greg Norman sees success of Adelaide formula as blueprint for future LIV Golf events

Cameron Smith, seen here at the Grange Golf Club in Adelaide, says he is definitely “putting my hand up” for more of an international schedule. Photo: EPA-EFE

Greg Norman, greeting fans at an LIV Golf event, says each market is different. Photo: LIV Golf

Marc Leishman of the Ripper team says each of the 13 teams could “host” a tournament. Photo: USA Today

LIV Golf: Talor Gooch concerned at rumours that circuit could adopt ‘arbitrary’ 72-hole format – ‘why not 108?’

Talor Gooch expressed his concern at reports LIV Golf could move to a 72-hole circuit. Photo: AP

Phil Mickelson expects LIV Golf to move to more traditional 72-hole format. Photo: EFE

Sport

Golf

Jinichiro Kozuma fires a nine-under-par 63, takes one stroke lead ahead of Danny Lee and Carlos Ortiz
Former world No 1 Jon Rahm finishes with back-to-back birdies to sit four shots off the lead


Jinichiro Kozuma fires a nine-under-par 63 at Grange Golf Club, takes one stroke lead ahead of Danny Lee and Carlos Ortiz.


Belgium

Adelaide

LIV Golf Adelaide: Japan’s Kozuma steals spotlight with birdie blitz at the Grange as Rahm lurks

Jinichiro Kozuma fires a nine-under-par 63, takes one stroke lead ahead of Danny Lee and Carlos Ortiz Former world No 1 Jon Rahm finishes with back-to-back birdies to sit four shots off the lead

Jinichiro Kozuma fires a nine-under-par 63, takes one stroke lead ahead of Danny Lee and Carlos Ortiz

Former world No 1 Jon Rahm finishes with back-to-back birdies to sit four shots off the lead