LIV Golf's Marc Leishman returns to majors, gets in the mix at U.S. Open
Marc Leishman's bunker shot splashed out of the sand, took four quick bounces and rolled straight into the hole for birdie on the long, par-3 eighth hole at Oakmont.
Suddenly, a name that was once no stranger to leaderboards at majors was up there once again. Not bad for a player who had every reason to wonder if he'd ever get another chance to play in one, let alone contend.
The 41-year-old Australian, whose departure to LIV Golf three years ago generated few headlines but changed his life completely, shot 2-under 68 at the U.S. Open on Saturday. He made five birdies over his first 12 holes to briefly get on the leaderboard before leaving the course six shots off the lead.
"I've been playing some of the best golf of my career this year," said Leishman, who is coming off his first LIV win, at Doral in April, then earned one of four spots at a U.S. Open qualifier in Maryland this month. "The schedule sort of lends itself to be able to work on your game between tournaments, and I was really able to prepare for this tournament."
This is Leishman's first major since the 2022 British Open. He is already exempt for this year's British Open based on a third-place finish at the Australian Open in December.
His move to LIV, where tournaments do not qualify for points in the world ranking that help decide large chunks of the field in major events, left the six-time winner on the PGA Tour in limbo when it came to ever playing in golf's biggest events again.
"You wonder, of course, if you're ever going to get in," Leishman said. "But there was certainly no regret. My life is as good as I've ever been right now."
The $24.8 million Leishman has won since heading to LIV, to say nothing of the reduced schedule and the 54-hole tournaments, help explain that.
What went missing were the all-but-automatic spots in golf's biggest tournaments that go to the PGA Tour's top performers. Leishman played in 39 of 41 majors between 2012-22. For a time, he had a knack for getting in the mix.
His three top-10s at the British Open in the 2010s included a three-way tie for the lead after 72 holes in 2015, before losing in a playoff eventually captured by Zach Johnson. The Aussie played in the second-to-last group on Sunday at the 2013 Masters (with fellow Aussie and eventual winner Adam Scott).
"I like tough courses," Leishman said. "I like courses that separate the field, when it really punishes bad shots and rewards good shots."
He had his share of both on Saturday. Good: the bunker shot on 8, and a 300-yard fairway wood on the par-5 12th that set up birdie and got him to 2-over par. Bad: Three straight bogeys on 14-16, though he came back with a birdie on the drivable par-4 17th and par on No. 18.
Leishman left the course tied for 15th, six shots out of first, with the leaders still early in their rounds Saturday.
He's well aware that a top-four finish here would add the Masters to his 2026 schedule. Either way, he is at peace with the choices he made, and where that left him — which in this case is with a late starting time in the final round of a major again.
"I really enjoyed sitting down with my kids and my mates watching the Masters and the PGA," Leishman said of the year's first two majors. "I'd be more happy if people were sitting down watching me."
Reporting by The Associated Press.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily ! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience LIV Golf PGA Tour
recommended
Get more from LIV Golf Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
20 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Jannik Sinner won't say why he fired two team members right before Wimbledon
Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Jannik Sinner confirmed that he recently fired two members of his team — fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio, who themselves were replacements for people involved in the player's doping case — but declined Saturday to explain the reason for the change ahead of Wimbledon. Sinner, who has been ranked No. 1 for more than a year, said that he decided shortly after losing in the second round of the grass-court tournament in Halle, Germany, this month to make the change. Sinner has not yet found substitutes for Panichi and Badio, who both used to work with Novak Djokovic. 'Nothing seriously bad happened. They did great work for (the past) three months. Sometimes, things happen,' Sinner said at his pre-tournament news conference. 'The timing obviously isn't the best, but having done a lot of work (together) before, it won't affect this Grand Slam a lot. I feel well physically and mentally and ready to compete.' Play begins Monday at the All England Club, where Sinner was a quarterfinalist in 2024. He will play Luca Nardi in an all-Italian matchup on Tuesday. Last year, Sinner tested positive twice for a trace amount of an anabolic steroid in March; the case wasn't made public until August, shortly before the U.S. Open, which he ended up winning for the second of his three Grand Slam titles. He initially was completely cleared, based on the defense that he accidentally was exposed to the banned substance, Clostebol, via a massage from his then-physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi. Sinner said his fitness trainer at the time, Umberto Ferrara, purchased a product in Italy and gave it to Naldi for a cut on Naldi's finger. Naldi then treated Sinner while not wearing gloves. The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed the exoneration, and Sinner agreed to serve a three-month ban that ended right before the Italian Open in May. On Saturday, Sinner was asked repeatedly in English and Italian what led him to part ways with Panichi and Badio. 'There's not one specific thing,' Sinner said. He was the runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open three weeks ago, wasting a two-set lead and three match points in a final that lasted 5 1/2 hours. As for adding new team members, Sinner said Saturday: 'I haven't thought about replacements. It's not the time to think about my options. But there are a lot of options.' ___ Howard Fendrich has been the AP's tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: More AP tennis: in this topic
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Unfortunate News on Brooks Koepka Emerges on Friday
Unfortunate News on Brooks Koepka Emerges on Friday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The LIV Golf Dallas event at Maridoe Golf Club teed off on Friday. Early leaderboard action shows 4Aces GC and Crushers GC asserting dominance, with captains Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau carding solid opening rounds. Advertisement Abraham Acer of Fireballs GC also posted strong numbers, sitting at the top with others. Meanwhile, Smash GC, led by Brooks Koepka, is struggling near the bottom in team standings. On top of that, after playing eight holes of the opening round, Koepka withdrew from the tournament. He was listed at 7-over par before pulling out, citing illness as the reason. He will be replaced by Luis Carrera for the remainder of the round. Brooks Koepka plays his shot from the first tee during the third round of the U.S. Open.© Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images This follows a rocky stretch in Koepka's season. He missed the cut at both the Masters and PGA Championship, and despite flashes of form, such as a tie for 12th at the U.S. Open, his overall performance has been inconsistent. Advertisement Koepka's season reflects a pattern: strong ball-striking metrics like long driving and greens in regulation are undermined by short-game inconsistencies, particularly scrambling and putting. His LIV play includes just two top-10 finishes this year, and he sits outside the top tier of the standings. Koepka's withdrawal not only impacts Smash GC's team prospects in Dallas but also raises questions about his health and form in the lead-up to the next major — the Open Championship in July. Health permitting, regaining short-game consistency and mental composure will be key for a bounce-back. Looking ahead, Koepka will likely focus on recovery and technical adjustments. Advertisement Related: Concerning News About $22 Million Golfer Announced on Friday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Davis Thompson makes three eagles in just eight holes at Rocket Classic
The skies were clear but lightning figuratively struck twice Saturday at Detroit Golf Club as a second golfer in the 2025 Rocket Classic made three eagles in one round. Atlanta native Davis Thompson, 26, became the second golfer in two days to drop three eagles in a single round at the PGA Tour's Rocket Classic in Detroit during Saturday's action. Before Philip Knowles did it Friday in the second round, the feat had never been accomplished during the previous six years of the Rocket. It had only happened once on the PGA Tour in 2025: Chandler Phillips did it in Round 1 at the Players Championship. Thompson's three eagles were even more rare because all three came on the front nine — in his first eight holes. Thompson, who started the day at 8-under, six shots back of the leaders, had his first eagle on the first hole, where he hit a 303-yard drive. His 80-yard wedge fell in for a deuce on the short par-4. He sank a birdie on the par-5 fourth, bogeyed Nos. 5 and 6, and then made back-to-back eagles on the par-5 seventh and short par-4 eighth. No. 7 has been a popular eagle this week, and Thompson took advantage. A 316-yard drive and 234-yard approach shot gave him a 37-foot putt, which he drained to recover from the bogeys. The 352-yard par-4 eighth hole is guarded by sand traps on each side, and though many players have birdied it, Thompson defeated the hole by simply driving the ball 344 yards to 7 feet. He capitalized with his third eagle of the day to climb to 5 under par on the round and 13-under total. He bogeyed the par-3 ninth to shoot a 4-under 32 on the front. Thompson then bounced back with a birdie on the par-4 No. 10. Thompson moved up 32 spots with his performance on the front nine and inside the top 10 as the leaders teed off. Follow the Detroit Free Press on Instagram (@detroitfreepress), TikTok (@detroitfreepress), YouTube (@DetroitFreePress), X (@freep), and LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook (@detroitfreepress).
