The Australian Open at Royal Melbourne has attracted some of the game’s highest-profile players to an area of the world so often starved of top-level action.
While the field includes PGA Tour stars of the caliber of five-time Major winner Rory McIlroy and 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott, LIV Golf is also well represented, with 11 full-time players and one reserve beginning the tournament.
After three rounds, several of those LIV Golfers are still in contention to win the title. DP World Tour star Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen leads by two with a round to play, but just two shots back of the Dane are two LIV Golfers, Cameron Smith and Carlos Ortiz.
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Smith endured some poor form in the build-up to the event, but he has turned on the style in his homeland with rounds of 70, 65 and 66 leaving him on 12 under with a round to play alongside Ortiz, who has carded rounds of 65, 70 and 66.
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Another Australian thriving in his homeland this week is Smith’s Ripper GC teammate Lucas Herbert, who begins the final round six back of Neergaard-Petersen on eight under along with another LIV Golfer, Legion XIII’s Caleb Surratt.
Another Ripper GC player giving a good account of himself is Marc Leishman, who finished the third round on six under in a tie for 15th along with fellow LIV Golfers Abraham Ancer and reserve Wade Ormsby.
Marc Leishman is having a good week in Australia
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Just one more LIV Golfer, Sebastian Munoz, made the cut, and he is in a tie for 37th on three under.
That left three players from the circuit whose challenges ended early, David Puig, who missed the cut on two over, the fourth Rupper GC player Matt Jones, who finished on seven over, along with 2023 winner Joaquin Niemann.
The Australian Open isn’t the only DP World Tour event this week, with South Africa’s Nedbank Golf Challenge also taking place.
It started with three LIV Golfers among its field of 66. Tom McKibbin is doing the best after three rounds in a tie for 16th on six under, 11 behind leader Kristoffer Reitan.
Adrian Meronk is T57 on nine over while LIV Golf’s newest recruit, Laurie Canter, withdrew after the first two rounds of the no-cut event at three over.
LIV Golf Leaderboard At The Crown Australian OpenT2 -12 Cameron SmithT2 -12 Carlos Ortiz5th -11 Josele BallesterT10 -8 Lucas HerbertT10 -8 Caleb SurrattT15 -6 Marc LeishmanT15 -6 Abraham AncerT15 -6 Wade Ormsby*T37 -3 Sebastian MunozMC +2 David PuigMC +7 Matt JonesMC +7 Joaquin Niemann
*Reserve player
LIV Golf Leaderboard At The Nedbank Golf Challenge16th -6 Tom McKibbinT57 +9 Adrian MeronkW/D +3 Laurie Canter
