Wind wreaks havoc at LIV Golf Andalucía

Stimpmeter · July 12, 2025, 9:45am

Ripper GC’s Cameron Smith delivered one of his best stretches of golf this year in brutal conditions at Real Club Valderrama to take the overnight lead at LIV Golf Andalucía, before fierce winds forced Friday’s opening round to be suspended.

The Australian was four under through 13 holes before a double-bogey at 15 and bogey at 16 saw him fall back to one-under par – still good enough for the outright lead in an unfinished round that left much of the field scrambling.

Play was halted at 5:07pm local time after high-impact gusts made putting conditions unplayable – marking the first time in LIV Golf history a round could not be completed in a single day. Players will return on Saturday morning to finish their opening rounds, with round two to follow.

“It’s easy to feel frustrated, particularly when I doubled 15 and then bogeyed 16,” said Smith. “But it’s golf. Golf isn’t fair, at the end of the day. Were the conditions fair? Probably not for a little bit, but it is what it is. I’m sure we’ll make a good tournament out of it.”

South Africa’s Branden Grace sits one shot back at level par alongside four others: Smash GC’s Talor Gooch – last year’s winner at Valderrama – Majesticks GC’s Lee Westwood, Torque GC’s Joaquin Niemann and Crushers GC’s Bryson DeChambeau.

Grace was a bogey-free one under through 10 holes before dropping two shots, but responded impressively with a pair of birdies to steady the ship. The Stinger GC man is in need of a strong week as he continues to battle to avoid relegation from the league for a second straight season.

Compatriot Louis Oosthuizen was one over through 13 holes when play was suspended.

Crushers GC, aiming for their fourth consecutive team title, are tied at the top of the team standings with Legion XIII and Smash GC, all at five over.

The day began under breezy but manageable conditions, but the wind shifted and strengthened significantly by mid-afternoon. On exposed greens such as the 11th and 14th, balls refused to settle long enough for players to putt, prompting officials to halt play.

“These Poniente winds of southern Spain are no joke,” said Brad Ullman, LIV Golf’s vice-president of rules. “Ultimately the balls were moving a little too much for our liking. It was the right thing to bring them off the golf course.”

Niemann, who has won four times already this season and currently tops the individual standings, played 15 bogey-free holes on Friday. Gooch, meanwhile, carded three birdies and three bogeys before stiffing an approach at the par-four 10th for a tap-in birdie.

Westwood, freshly qualified for next week’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush, made four birdies in his first seven holes but gave two back with a double-bogey. He closed with four straight pars.

Photo: LIV Golf

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