CHICAGO ROUND 2 RECAP: SMITH AHEAD BY 2 SHOTS; 4 ACES LEAD TIGHT TEAM RACE
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. (September 17, 2022) – Cameron Smith is just five rounds into his LIV Golf career, so he’s still trying to figure out how to balance the individual competition and the team component.
On Sunday’s final round at LIV Golf Invitational Chicago, the reigning Open Champion will get a crash course in the chase for two trophies.
Thanks to a 4-under 68 in sometimes difficult scoring conditions Saturday at Rich Harvest Farms, Smith has a two-shot lead over Boston winner Dustin Johnson on the individual leaderboard. Meanwhile, his all-Australian Punch GC is just one shot behind Johnson’s 4 Aces GC, which is seeking its fourth consecutive champagne finish as team champions.
“It’s a very unique situation, one that I’m probably not used to yet,” said Smith, who is 10 under through two rounds. “I find myself looking at the team score more than the individual score.”
On Sunday, Smith and Johnson (8 under) will play in the lead group for the second consecutive day. The duo will be joined by Peter Uihlein, who had the low round on Saturday with a 6-under 66 to move into solo third at 7 under.
“Obviously, Cam’s the reigning Open champion playing unbelievable golf. DJ won last week,” Uihlein said. “They’re both unbelievable players playing great. Should be fun.”
While the large crowds at Rich Harvest Farms were definitely having fun, the players had to battle windy conditions on a day that tested their patience. The field scoring average of 71.771 was more than a half-stroke higher than the first round. “It got quite tricky,” said Smith, who finished with birdies on his last two holes.
Johnson, the most consistent player this season, suffered his first over-par score in his 14 LIV Golf rounds, shooting a 1-over 73. It was also the first time one of his rounds had not counted for 4 Aces. Having started the day with a 3-shot lead following his opening 63, he’s now chasing Smith after a round in which he was 2 over without a birdie in his last 10 holes.
The good news for Johnson is that he’ll be in the lead group for the fourth consecutive event. That will give him an up-close view on what he needs to do to chase down Smith and post a second straight victory.
“He’s definitely one you want to beat for sure,” Smith said of Johnson. “He’s been one of the best players for the last 10, 15 years, so someone to go up against and someone to try and beat.”
Uihlein will hope to recapture the magic he produced in the inaugural event in London. Not only did he finish fourth on the individual leaderboard, he captained Crushers GC to a second-place finish in the team standings. He’s now a member of Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC, which is in third place, just one shot being Punch GC.
Not only is he happy playing for Koepka, whom he’s known for several years, Uihlein was also happy to see the tough scoring conditions Saturday. “I want to have championship tests,” Uihlein said. “You don’t really kind of want to have these 25 under par shootouts. Good, tough courses is kind of what we enjoy playing.”
Tied for fourth on the individual leaderboard at 6 under is England’s Laurie Canter (Cleeks GC) and South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel (Stinger GC), who won the inaugural event in London. Another stroke back are the trio of Bryson DeChambeau (Crushers GC captain) and his teammate Charles Howell III, along with Lee Westwood (Majesticks GC captain).
While Smith will try to successfully toggle between the individual and team races, one thing he has grown accustomed to is feeding off the energy of the LIV Golf crowds.
“It’s really cool,” he said. “It’s something that I’ve got used to over the last couple of weeks, and I can’t wait to keep this going. It’s unreal out here. I love the energy. Like I said last week, I think the course has a heartbeat. Everyone is really engaged and everyone is really watching what you’re doing. Yeah, it’s awesome.”
UIHLEIN HAS COURSE KNOWLEDGE – FROM 18 YEARS AGO
In 2004, Peter Uihlein played an AJGA junior event at Rich Harvest Farms. That makes him one of the few players who had seen the course prior to this week.
Not that it helped in his prep work. After all, it was 18 years ago.
“I’ll tell you what, it’s a lot wider than I remember,” he said. “There used to be a lot of trees out there. It was pretty nasty. It’s a little bit more generous off the tee than what I remember. There used to be an AstroTurf tee on one of those holes. I think we’re playing it the 4th hole, but I think that hole used to have an AstroTurf tee. But now I guess they’ve removed some trees so grass can actually grow.”
Still, Uihlein looked quite comfortable at the course on Saturday as he shot a 6-under 66, the low round of the day.
If there was any course knowledge to be had, it probably came from his caddie Zach Guthrie, who spent six years as the assistant coach of the University of Illinois golf team before carrying a bag. The Illini practiced and competed at Rich Harvest Farms.
In addition, Guthrie played the course himself during his college days at Western Illinois.
“He was telling me how many times he played out here when he was in college and growing up,” Uihlein said. “Yeah, he’s been awesome, and great to have on the bag. He’s got a Cubs yardage book, and a lot of guys keep screaming ‘Go Cubs’ out there for him, so he’s got a lot more support than I do, I think.”
TEAM LEADERBOARD
In addition to the individual stroke-play competition, players are also competing as four-man teams during LIV Golf events. The best two scores in Round 1, the best two scores in Round 2, and the best three scores in Round 3 will combine to produce the team score.
The total team prize money for each event is $5 million, with the winning team dividing $3 million, second place dividing $1.5 million and third place dividing $500,000 among its four team members.
Here is the leaderboard and Saturday’s counting scores in the second round at Rich Harvest Farms:
1. 4 Aces GC, 15 under (Patrick Reed 69, Pat Perez 71)
2. Punch GC, 14 under (Cameron Smith 68, Matt Jones 72)
3. Smash GC, 13 under (Peter Uihlein 66, Jason Kokrak 68)
T-4. Stinger GC, 11 under (Charl Schwartzel 69, Shaun Norris 70)
T-4. Majesticks GC, 11 under (Ian Poulter 70, Lee Westwood 71)
6. Crushers GC, 10 under (Bryson DeChambeau 70, Charles Howell III 71)
7. Cleeks GC, 9 under (Laurie Canter 68, Richard Bland 70)
T-8. Torque GC, 7 under (Joaquin Niemann 69, Scott Vincent 71)
T-8. Fireballs GC, 7 under (Sergio Garcia 69, Abraham Ancer 71)
T-8. Hy Flyers GC, 7 under (Cameron Tringale 72, Bernd Wiesberger 72)
11. Niblicks GC, 3 under (James Piot 70, Harold Varner III 72)
12. Iron Heads GC, 1 under (Phachara Khongwatmai 72, Kevin Na 73)
PLAYER QUOTEBOARD
Cameron Smith (on his mullet): “I think Punch GC has got a very unique style throughout the group. I think we’re all a little bit different. I think we all have our little quirkiness about us. To shave it all off, mate, I don’t think there’s a number it would take. It would take a lot. I know for me to get rid of this, I feel like this is my good luck charm, so I’m going to hang with it for a little bit.”
Brooks Koepka (on his LIV Golf experience): “The fans have been great. Everybody that’s come out has been awesome. It’s been enjoyable for us. I think the players, the caddies, just how well the caddies are treated, as well. I think that’s a big difference. They’re treated like human beings. I think everybody, through coaches, staff, everybody, it’s a big difference.”
PERFORMANCE STATS
Driving accuracy – Sergio Garcia, Pat Perez, 85% (12 of 14 fairways)
Driving distance – Matthew Wolff, 322.8-yard average
Greens in regulation – Peter Uihlein, 94% (17 of 18 greens)
Fewest putts – Patrick Reed, 24 putts
Most birdies – Peter Uihlein, Abraham Ancer, 7
HOLE STATS
Easiest hole – 522-yard par-5 18th, which played to a stroke average of 4.083.
Hardest hole –204-yard par-3 16th, which played to a stroke average of 3.354.
Course stroke average: Rd. 1 (71.188). Rd. 2 (71.771). Par is 72.
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About LIV Golf Investments
LIV Golf Investments is a newly formed company, with group companies in the USA and UK, and with Asian offices to follow. Its purpose is to holistically improve the health of professional golf on a global scale to help unlock the sports’ untapped potential. Greg Norman is the first and founding CEO of LIV Golf Investments. PIF, one of the world’s largest wealth funds, with a diverse international investment portfolio, is the majority shareholder in LIV Golf Investments.
About Rich Harvest Farms
Located less than an hour outside of Chicago, Rich Harvest Farms is an ultra-private, members-only club, consistently ranked in Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses.” Owned and built by Jerry Rich, the course consists of 18 perfectly manicured holes and is a 1,820-acre showcase of nature and agriculture. With state-of-the-art meeting spaces, numerous lodging options and non-golf amenities that include a private car museum, miles of horseback riding trails and three fully stocked lakes for fishing, Rich Harvest Farms offers distinguished facilities in a luxurious setting.
Rich Harvest Farms has and continues to play host to numerous amateur, collegiate, and professional tournaments. These includes the Arnold Palmer Cup (2021, 2015), Solheim Cup (2009), Ryder Cup Captain’s Challenge (2012) and numerous USGA Qualifiers. This list also includes the Western Amateur (2003, 2015) and Western Junior (2003, 2019). Northern Illinois University Huskies Men’s and Women’s Golf Teams are proud to call Rich Harvest Farms their home course and so the following have also been hosted at the course: NCAA Men’s Division I Central Regional (2007, 2014), MAC Championship (2003, 2012), the annual Rich Harvest Farms Intercollegiate (2010-Present) and NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships (2017).
A hidden gem at Rich Harvest Farms is the Kids Golf Foundation of Illinois, a nonprofit junior golf organization founded in 1998 by Jerry Rich and longtime friend Don Springer. Today, the Foundation has impacted the lives of over 250,000 youth through golf and its valuable life lessons.