MARANA, Arizona: Marc Leishman opened with an eagle and held it together in the middle of his round for a 5-under 66 on Saturday, giving him a two-shot lead over Sergio Garcia going into the third and final round of LIV Golf Tucson.
Leishman said he had fallen into a habit of letting a rough stretch ruin his round. The Australian dropped only one shot at the Gallery Golf Club in the high desert and delivered one last birdie on the par-5 17th to reach 11-under 131.
“I had a really hot start, the cooled on the back nine,” said Leishman, who was 4 under for his round through eight holes. “But I didn’t let it get away from me.”
Garcia, whose last victory anywhere was in Mississippi more than two years ago, had a 65 that could have been slightly better if not for missing a 2-foot par putt on the 16th hole. He at least was able to finish with a birdie on his last hole at No. 17.
Garcia’s team, the Fireballs, had a one-shot lead in the team competition.
“We’re right there. We need another good day tomorrow,” Garcia said.
Louis Oosthuizen was in a four-player group at 8-under 134, though none of the others had quite the tease at the end of the round like the South African.
Finishing on the par-4 18th, Oosthuizen’s approach landed a few feet short of the flag and struck the pin, rolling back off a false front into the fairway. His pitch for birdie was headed for the pin and spun in and out of the cup.
At that point, he turned away and covered his face. He made the par for a 68.
“It pitched exactly where I wanted it to, it hit the pin and off the green. Same look with the chip. I thought I was to chip it in,” Oosthuizen said. “I’m standing over the putt thinking, ‘You better make this or it’s going to be a bad ending.’”
He was joined at 134 by Charles Howell III (65), Brendan Steele (65) and Cameron Tringale (66), who never won on the PGA Tour before signing up for LIV Golf last season.
Howell won the first LIV Golf event of its second season last month at Mayakoba.
Phil Mickelson had a bogey-free round, making four birdies in an eight-hole stretch that led to a 67. He was tied for 10th, six shots out of the lead. His team, which includes Steele, was one shot behind Garcia’s team.
Leishman has 2-shot lead over Garcia at LIV Golf in Arizona
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Leishman has 2-shot lead over Garcia at LIV Golf in Arizona
- The Australian dropped only one shot at the Gallery Golf Club in the high desert
- Sergio Garcia’s team, the Fireballs, had a one-shot lead in the team competition
McIlroy soars to the top of the leaderboard at Dubai Invitational
- Scotland’s Connor Syme, Spaniard David Puig were McIlroy’s closest rivals at four under
- A minute’s silence was held at 1.30 p.m. for the 40 victims of the Crans-Montana fire, which included Italian golfer Emanuele Galeppini
DUBAI: Rory McIlroy declared his opening round of 66 as a “nice way to start the year” as he held a one-shot lead at the 2026 Dubai Invitational.
The world number two made a rapid start with seven birdies and a bogey after 10 holes to send a daunting message to the rest of the field as he led by three shots at six under par.
His momentum stalled as he carded a dropped shot and seven pars to close his first round of the year in 66 and take the clubhouse lead at five under.
Matt Wallace rolled in four straight birdies around the turn to surge ahead at seven under, but two dropped shots and a double bogey saw him slip down the leaderboard.
Scotland’s Connor Syme and Spaniard David Puig were McIlroy’s closest rivals at four under.
“It was good. I got off to a great start, played a very good first nine,” McIlroy said.
“Then the wind got up a little bit and felt like that front nine, which was our second nine, was the trickier one.
“I made a silly bogey on three and then didn’t capitalize on the par-five after that.
“So, I felt like I left a few out on that side, but I played a really good nine holes of golf. Overall, a nice way to start the year.”
McIlroy, who started at the 10th, was inches from an opening eagle before he climbed to two under at the 11th with a close-range birdie.
He slid a four-foot par putt by at the 12th, but responded immediately with birdies at the 13th and the par-three 14th thanks to a stunning tee-shot.
The Northern Irishman took the outright lead at four under with another gain at the 17th and when finished his front nine with another birdie, he was two shots clear.
McIlroy was in relentless form as he rolled in his seventh birdie of the day, and third in a row, at the first to extend his advantage to three strokes at six under.
However, Oliver Lindell closed in on the early leader courtesy of a stunning birdie blitz from the ninth to the 13th.
McIlroy bogeyed the third to slip back alongside the Finn to share the lead at five under and they were joined by Guerrier, starting on the back nine, who briefly made it a three-way tie after his seventh birdie of the round at the sixth to go with his double bogey at the ninth before fading away.
Matt Wallace opened with a bogey, but bounced back with a birdie at the third and a chip-in eagle at the fourth.
Another gain followed at the sixth before he surged to the summit courtesy of four straight birdies from the eighth to move two ahead at seven under.
The Englishman dropped a shot at the 12th, double bogeyed the 16th and closed with a bogey as his two-shot lead evaporated.
Syme and Puig were one shot behind McIlroy at four under following five birdies and a bogey in their 67s.
Wallace endured a rollercoaster card of an eagle, six birdies, three dropped shots and a double bogey to finish to sit in a tie for fifth at three under, Lindell double bogeyed the last in his 68, while French pair Guerrier and Antoine Rozner and Spaniard Angel Ayora were also at that mark.
There was a minute’s silence held at 1.30 p.m. for the 40 victims of the Crans-Montana fire during New Year celebrations, which included rising Italian talent Emanuele Galeppini, who was about to start his tenure as Junior Captain at Dubai Creek Resort.
Black ribbons were worn by players, caddies and DP World Tour staff as a mark of respect.
