Bryson DeChambeau left fans utterly stunned on Thursday at the LIV Adelaide tournament after the two-time US Open champion bizarrely topped a tee shot on the 10th hole. This surprising moment came as Australian pacesetter Marc Leishman admitted he was unfazed at being chased by a batch of major winners in his quest for a coveted home LIV Golf triumph.
DeChambeau's Unusual Mishap on the Course
Despite posting a score of six-under par on day one, DeChambeau, known as one of the biggest hitters in the game, left fans in awe after just making the turn. The American, currently negotiating his blockbuster $500 million LIV Golf contract, showed he is still only human, with the man they call the 'mad scientist' chunking his drive off the tee box.
The ball trundled its way around 60 yards up the fairway, with the Ryder Cup star looking down at his clubface in confusion. 'Did I hit the ground on that?' he was overheard saying. He had appeared to have teed the ball up a little lower than perhaps he would have liked, with the two-time US Open champion skulling his clubhead into the ground before making contact with the ball.
However, it wouldn't matter. He pulled a metal wood out of his bag and striped a monster approach shot at the flag. The ball landed on the green, with DeChambeau getting down in two for birdie on the par five. Bryson later revealed that it's been nearly five years since he's topped a golf ball off a tee. 'Last time I did that was 2021 Players Championship off the 4th tee box and it cost me THE PLAYERS,' DeChambeau said. 'I've done it before. But that shot was more of a thin shot. I just hit too far down on the ball. I actually struck it nicely. It was a perfect strike right into the tee box. It was awesome.'
Leishman's Confident Lead Amidst Strong Competition
Leishman shot a bogey-free six-under 66 in Thursday's first round at the Grange in Adelaide to share the lead with American megastar DeChambeau. DeChambeau's fellow major winners Dustin Johnson, who landed two eagles in his five under, and Jon Rahm (four under) lurk ominously behind.
Leishman, meanwhile, entered the opening round in the shadows of his compatriots Cam Smith and the emerging Elvis Smylie, who won on his LIV debut last weekend in Saudi Arabia. 'The good thing about LIV is you're playing against those guys every week,' Leishman said. 'So whether you're ahead of them or you're chasing them, you know you have to play really good golf to win one of these tournaments. That's certainly going to be the case this week for whoever goes out and wins it or comes from behind or whatever that is - hopefully it's me.'
Smith, after carding bogeys on his initial three holes, fought back to finish even par, while the 23-year-old Smylie shot three birdies in his two-under 70. Fellow Australian and Ripper GC teammate Lucas Herbert finished one under after a rollercoaster round featuring three bogeys and four birdies.
Leishman's Hopes for an Australian Victory
Leishman had no such dramas in a superb start to the fourth edition of LIV's Adelaide tournament, which is yet to feature an Australian individual winner. 'An Australian winning here would be massive ... I hope we find out this week,' Leishman said. 'I have seen Aussies win Australian Opens and PGAs, and I won a Victorian PGA last year. I've never seen an Australian win an individual title in Australia at a LIV event, which I think would be pretty special. Obviously, I was a part of the Ripper GC team win in 2024 in Adelaide and that felt like winning a major for me. An Australian winning here would be massive.'
The 42-year-old peeled off four birdies in a seven-hole stretch at the sandbelt course in Adelaide's beachside western suburbs. And Leishman, chasing a second victory on the LIV circuit to follow his triumph in Miami last year, banked two more birdies on successive holes, the 16th and 17th. His six-under effort was one stroke shy of his best LIV round in Adelaide - he twice shot seven under at the Grange, in 2023 and '24.
Other Notable Performances in the Field
Another Australian in the field, Adelaide's Wade Ormsby, who is a LIV reserve and was summoned to replace Phil Mickelson who remains in the US because of a family matter, finished one over on his home course. Anthony Kim shares second place at five under, a shot ahead of Abraham Ancer and Northern Ireland's Graham McDowell who both banked rounds of 68.
As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on whether DeChambeau can maintain his lead despite the early mishap and if Leishman can secure a historic home victory against a field packed with major champions.
