LIV Golf LIVE: Leaderboard and Day 1 scores as Carlos Ortiz leads the way after the opening round in Portland

Golf’s newest and most controversial tour, the LIV Golf Series, hosts its second event in Portland, Oregon this week with the action kicking off tonight. The Saudi-backed venture has added more high-profile names to its roster, with America’s Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and Patrick Reed among the latest players to defect from the PGA Tour, joining the likes of Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson.

The American PGA Tour and European DP World Tour have issued suspensions and fines respectively in a bid to halt the breakaway but players Carlos Ortiz and Matthew Wolff have committed themselves to LIV Golf in the last week alone. Meanwhile Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas, amongst others, have spoken publicly in favour of golf’s two main tours yet the field in Portland is set to be significantly stronger than at LIV Golf’s inaugural event in England last month.

South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel bagged the first winner’s cheque for £3.85m after triumphing at the Centurion Club and another eye-watering £20m prize pot will be on offer in Oregon with the lure of the Saudi-backed rebel series’ riches proving hard to resist for players. The full field of 48 players has been confirmed and the format will continue to be a 54-hole shotgun start played across three days with Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland hosting this week’s event.

Relive all the action from Day 1 of the second event of the controversial tour below:

LIV Golf live updates

• Second invitational event taking place in Portland, Oregon

• Round 1 individual leaderboard: Ortiz (-5), D. Johnson (-4), Tanihara, Perez, Grace, Ormsby (-3)

• Round 1 team leaderboard: 4 Aces (-7), Stingers (-5), Torque, Fireballs (-4) Punch (-3)

• Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau latest big names to join breakaway tour

• The event consists of three shotgun start rounds with the final round on Saturday

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

02:37 , Michael Jones

Despite Ortiz’s heroics, the day has to go to Dustin Johnson. He never quite found his rhythm and on more than one occasion ended up playing shots from the footpaths, mingling with the crowd almost as much as finding the fairways.

But, he’s Dustin Johnson.

The captain of the 4 Aces led his team to an impressive two shot lead in the team tournament and is himself just one behind Ortiz in the individual event.

Johnson somehow managed to rescue holes, make pars and - barring a mishap on his first hole - avoid picking up bogeys in a frantic round that brought entertainment and skill in equal measure.

He was ably joined by new teammate and LIV Golf debutant Pat Perez (-3) who could have finished the day at the top of the leaderboard if it weren’t for a double bogey on the 18th from the middle of the fairway.

Still, the 4 Aces GC are well positioned to attack Day 2 and take control of LIV Golf’s second invitational. Join us again tomorrow night to see how they fare and whether Carlos Ortiz can cling on to his place at the top of the leaderboard.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

02:28 , Michael Jones

It was a fantastic opening day at Pumpkin Ridge for 31-year-old Carlos Ortiz who recorded a five under par 67.

Starting his round on the ninth hole as part of LIV Golf’s unique shotgun start selling point, Ortiz birdied the opening hole and never looked back. He went on to collect two more shots on 10 and 12 before hitting a stumbling block for his round with consecutive bogeys at the 14th and 15th.

Yet, just like the gloriously weather blazing down on the course in Portland, Ortiz’s spirits were not dampened. He recorded four further birdies during the rest of his round and finished off with a par on the eighth to take a one shot lead over Dustin Johnson into the second day’s play.

It was a much needed low score from Ortiz whose Fireballs GC teammates struggled to get to grips with the tricky greens and all ended the day in the black. Abraham Ancer (+1) was the next lowest tally and their combined score sees the Fireballs still in the running for the team event at (-4).

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1 leaderboard

02:15 , Michael Jones

Individual leaderboard

-5 Carlos Ortiz

-4 Dustin Johnson

-3 Pat Perez, Hideto Tanihara, Wade Ormsby, Branden Grace

-2 Brooks Koepka, Hennie Du Plessis

-1 Scott Vincent, Martin Kaymer, Yuki Inamori, Jinichiro Kozuma, Louis Oosthuizen

Team Leaderboard

-7 4 Aces GC

-5 Stingers GC

-4 Torque GC, Fireballs GC

-3 Punch GC

-2 Clerks GC

-1 Smash GC

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

02:07 , Michael Jones

Dustin Johnson gave his post-round reaction after recording an opening 68 around Pumpkin Ridge.

“I was swinging well and had a really good warm up this morning.” he said, “I played really nicely, I hit a lot of fairways and just played really solid.

“I gave myself a lot of chances and missed quite a few short ones but the greens are really tough to read and it felt like I hit a lot of good putts. I’m very pleased with how I played.”

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

02:01 , Michael Jones

An opening round of 67 for Carlos Ortiz sees him head into the clubhouse with the lead at (-5). Dustin Johnson has a tricky putt to hold onto par on his final hole...

... it drops. It’s a round of 68 for DJ who is just one off the lead.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

01:53 , Michael Jones

The opening rounds at Pumpkin Ridge are winding down. Brooks Koepka holes his par putt on 18 to end his first ever LIV Golf round on two-under par.

Hideto Tanihara misses his birdie putt on the eighth and has to settle for par.

Elsewhere Jinichiro Kozuma (-1) and Matthew Wolff (E) have completed their rounds.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

01:47 , Michael Jones

Carlos Ortiz!

Birdie on six, birdie on seven and now there’s a new leader. The 31-year-old is the first to reach five under par for the day and moves into the outright lead with one hole to play.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

01:41 , Michael Jones

Wade Ormsby’s come from nowhere!

He opened his round with nine straight pars over the back nine before recording four birdies and a bogey in the first seven holes of the front nine.

He’s got two to play and is down to three under, one shot off the leaders.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

01:30 , Michael Jones

Carlos Ortiz started strong and he’s ending strong. Two holes to play for the Mexican and he’s just moved to the top of the leaderboard with a three on the par-4 sixth.

Jinichiro Kozuma has earned a shot back after his double bogey on the third but Bryson DeChambeau has dropped back to level par with a bogey on 14.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

01:24 , Michael Jones

A birdie at 11 for Justin Harding moves him within one of the lead at three under par.

Pat Perez and Jinichiro Kozuma both drop shots and collect double bogeys on 18 and 3 respectively falling all the way back to one under and putting bug dents in their rounds.

PGA Tour and DP World Tour step up efforts to thwart LIV Golf

01:19 , Michael Jones

The PGA Tour and DP World Tour have announced a new 13-year operational joint venture partnership which creates new player pathways and increased prize funds in the next phase of their fightback against LIV Golf.

In an announcement coinciding with the opening press conferences at LIV’s first United States event in Portland this week, the two circuits announced a strengthening of their alliance which was first launched in November 2020.

The aim is to counter LIV’s cash with a better competitive structure for players and from next year, the top 10 finishers on the season-ending DP World Tour rankings who are not already exempt will gain PGA Tour cards.

The PGA Tour will increase its ownership stake in European Tour Productions from 15 per cent to 40 per cent, with the cash from the deal used to increase prize funds - with guaranteed increases in DP World Tour purses for the next five years.

PGA Tour and DP World Tour step up efforts to thwart LIV Golf

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

01:12 , Michael Jones

A surprising and special Day 1 from team Torque:

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

01:05 , Michael Jones

Scott Vincent on the charge! A nice tee shot on 12 leaves him with a eight or nine feet for birdie and he calmly rolls it into the middle of the cup. Two birdies in two holes for Vincent sees him move within one of the lead.

Hideto Tanihara is back on top!

He guides a left-to-right swinning putt into the hole of the fifth to move back to four under. It’s a good response from the Torque captain after giving a shot away with an awfuly par putt a couple of holes ago.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

00:59 , Michael Jones

Team leaderboard update:

Torque GC (-6)

Stingers GC (-6)

4 Aces GC (-6)

Cleeks GC (-4)

Crushers GC (-3)

Fireballs (-2)

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

00:57 , Michael Jones

DJ with a share!

It seems bewildering to say that Dustin Johnson hasn’t played all that well today - for his high standards - but over the last five holes or so he’s been fantastic.

Three birdies in that run including one at the 13th sees him shoot to the top of the leaderboard. The 4 Aces captain is leading by example and helps his team to a share of the team lead too.

There’s a three-way tie at the top of the team leaderboard.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

00:52 , Michael Jones

Branden Grace takes the outright lead after sinking a six foot putt on the fifth for a birdie. The South African moves to four under for the day and with it helps the Stingers to a share of the team lead as well.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

00:46 , Michael Jones

Jinichiro Kozuma finds some trouble on the first hole and has to settle for a bogey six which drops him back to (-3) for the round. There’s now a five way tie at the top of the leaderboard with around five holes left in the day.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

00:41 , Michael Jones

Carlos Ortiz is going to be there or thereabouts by the end of the day. He’s played brilliantly today and has just five holes to play. At the third Ortiz collects his fifth birdie of the round and joins the group at three under par.

Individual leaderboard

00:37 , Michael Jones

Jinichiro Kozuma (-4)

Hideto Tanihara (-3)

Branden Grace (-3)

Dustin Johnson (-3)

Louis Oosthuizen (-2)

Pat Perez (-2)

Carlos Ortiz (-2)

Justin Hardin (-2)

Martin Kaymer (-2)

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

00:28 , Michael Jones

What a putt from Jinichiro Kozuma! On the 18th green the Japanese rolls a 15ft putt from the edge of the turf right into the middle of the cup and moves into the outright lead.

Torque GC also move two shots clear in the team tournament.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

00:26 , Michael Jones

Pat Perez’s run of birdies ends on the 14th as he bogeys the par-3.

It’s all change at the top of the leaderboard too!

Hideto Tanihara slides a three foot putt for par wide of the hole and records his first bogey of the day. Almost at the same time Dustin Johnson knocks a nine footer in on the 11th and takes a share of the lead.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

00:15 , Michael Jones

Brooks Koepka is back to two-under following a birdie two on the par-3 12th.

Elsewhere Justin Harding is two-under for the first time in his round with a birdie at the seventh and Jinichiro Kozuma extends Torque’s lead in the team competition with a four on the par-5 17th to take him within one shot of the lead.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

00:11 , Michael Jones

DJ’s hitting form:

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

00:08 , Michael Jones

A slight right to left swinger on the 13th drops into the cup for Pat Perez to move the Ace level with Branden Grace at three under par.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

00:05 , Michael Jones

Branden Grace moves within one shot of the lead with a fine birdie on the second hole. He was one of Stingers GC’s main men in the opening event at Centurian Club and he’s leading the way for the South African team once again.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

00:01 , Michael Jones

Abraham Ancer is heading in the right direction again. A tough day for the Mexican-American has seen him in the black since the first hole but a lovely birdie putt on 11 brings him within one of a level par round.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

23:56 , Michael Jones

Birdie for the leader!

This is a more than steady round now. Hideto Tanihara starts his front nine with a birdie four on the par-5 first and moves two shots in front of the nearest challengers.

Dustin Johnson has rescued his round nicely. He started with a bogey on the 18th but swept through the front nine at three-under par to keep him in touch with the leader.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

23:52 , Michael Jones

16 of the 48 player field are under par but only two men have reached (-3).

Carlos Ortiz has dropped back into the pack from his earlier position at the top of the leaderboard but a steady round from Hideto Tanihara sees him leading the way.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

23:49 , Michael Jones

Jinichiro Kozuma with the putting skill:

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

23:46 , Michael Jones

Sam Horsfield is the latest man to take advantage of the par-5 17th as he collects his third birdie of the day.

Back on the 10th Brooks Koepka misses his putt for par and drops back to one-under.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

23:41 , Michael Jones

Phil Mickelson gets the crowd cheering as he rolls in his first birdie of the day to cancel out a previous bogey. He’s back to level par.

Following Phil down the 10th, Brooks Koepka comes up well short out of the fairway bunker on 10 but guides his third shot right to the back of the green and leaves himself a gettable nine to 10 footer for par.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

23:36 , Michael Jones

Louis Oostuizen completes his first nine holes with a birdie on 11. Three birdies and a bogey so far for the Stingers captain sees him move within one shot of the lead.

He’s also dragged the Stingers into second in the team comp.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

23:30 , Michael Jones

Bryson DeChambeau makes birdie!

It’s been a quietly consistent round for the big name America who is playing in his first LIV Golf event this week. Starting on 18 DeChambeau made seven consecutive pars before finally rolling in a putt for three on the par-4 seventh.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

23:28 , Michael Jones

Branden Grace makes very good par on the 18th and gets up and down from about 80 yards out for a four to reamin without one shot of the lead.

Hudson Swafford’s up and down round goes on as he follows a birdie on 15 with a bogey on 16.

Almost halfway through the round now and a few of the big names are struggling. Greame McDowell is languishing at (+4) with Ian Poulter and Charl Schwartzel (+3) just ahead of him. Sergio Garcia (+1) and Lee Westwood (+2) are also in the black.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

23:22 , Michael Jones

Hideto Tanihara moves into the lead after taking advantage of the par-5 17th to record his third birdie of the day. It’s been a consistent round for the Torque GC captain who is three under thru eight with no drop shots.

His teammate Jinichiro Kozuma is just one shot back and together their scores have given Torque a two shot lead in the team competition.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

23:12 , Michael Jones

Torque GC’s Jinichiro Kozuma takes a share of the lead with a three on 13. The Japanese player is having an interesting day so far. Four birdies, two bogeys and two pars thru eight holes.

After a tricky start to his round Branden Grace now looks like he’s picked up where he left off in London. Two bogeys in his opening three holes put him in the black but he’s emulated Brooks Koepka and birdies his last three holes (15, 16, 17) to move to two-under for the day.

DP World Tour players want LIV Golf stars to face ‘very strong sanctions’, reveals Padraig Harrington

23:06 , Michael Jones

Padraig Harrington has revealed how DP World Tour players are pushing for “very strong sanctions” to be handed out to LIV Golf players.

The Irishman, captain for Europe last year in the 19-9 defeat to the Unites States, has also confirmed he will be consulted in discussions over new qualification rules for the Ryder Cup.

And there is pressure from current DP World Tour players to penalise those who have already jumped to the rebel tour in a bid to be rewarded with some resisting snubbing offers as large as £25m to sign up to Greg Norman’s new tour.

That could mean Ryder Cup stalwarts Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell, all fined £100,000 and banned from the upcoming Scottish Open, could have played their last Ryder Cup match.

DP World Tour players want ‘very strong sanctions’ for LIV Golf stars

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

22:58 , Michael Jones

Peter Uihlein saves par with a 10-foot putt on the third to remain one-under for the round.

I bet Brooks is feeling happier about his choice to join LIV Golf now. Three birdies in a row on five, six and seven sees the American and captain of Smash GC take a share of the lead.

He’s certainly found his range now.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

22:51 , Michael Jones

Hudson Swafford gets a highlight real for this beautiful approach at 12. He followed up that birdie with a five on the par-4 13th though and gave the shot straight back.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

22:47 , Michael Jones

Dropped shot!

Carlos Ortiz drops back into the pack with a bogey four on the 14th. That dropped shot has also closed the gap in the team competition with the Fireballs GC now only one shot in front.

The Hy Flyers, Torque, Crushers and 4 Aces are all hunting them down.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

22:44 , Michael Jones

Charl Schwartzel seems to have found his range. He flicks his approach on the seventh over the false front of the green and lands it within six feet of the hole! A fine shot.

Brooks Koepka is also starting to make his mark on the round. He’s into the red at (-1) after consecutive birdies on the fifth and the sixth.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

22:36 , Michael Jones

Hudson Swafford - who is a three time winner on the PGA Tour apparantly - might just have got a run going here. Birdies on 11 and 12 see the 34-year-old to two-under thru five and within one shot of the lead.

Hideto Tanihara joins him there after following his two on 12 with a par and a fine birdie putt on the 14th. It’s a very good start now for the Torque GC captain.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

22:32 , Michael Jones

Back on the sixth, Captain America himself Patrick Reed slides a birdie opportunity wide to the right of the hole and has to settle for par.

Just behind on the fifth Brooks Koepka records his first birdie of the round and comes back to evens after his bogey on the first hole.

Both players seem to have settled nicely into their rounds and will be hoping to push on and challenge the leaders.

Shane Lowry welcomes closer ties between Tours in response to LIV Golf threat

22:26 , Michael Jones

Former Open champion Shane Lowry has welcomed the sense of “comfort” given by the strengthening of ties between the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.

In their latest response to the threat posed by the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series, the two circuits announced the next phase of their strategic alliance, which was signed in November 2020.

The aim is to counter what Rory McIlroy describes as the “boatloads of cash” offered by LIV Golf which have succeeded in attracting the likes of Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed to the 54-hole, 48-man events, resulting in their suspension from the PGA Tour.

From 2023 the top 10 finishers on the DP World Tour rankings not already exempt will gain PGA Tour cards, with the US circuit increasing its stake in European Tour Productions from 15 to 40 per cent and that money used to guarantee increases in DP World Tour purses for the next five years.

Shane Lowry welcomes closer ties between Tours in response to LIV Golf threat

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

22:22 , Michael Jones

Dustin Johnson leaves a birdie putt just short on the second. He stays level par for the round after a birdie on the first cancelled out an opening bogey on 18.

Carlos Ortiz (-3) is back out in front on his own with a two on the par-3 at 12.

Stingers’ captain Louis Oosthuizen is in the red with a birdie of his own on the sixth. He’s one-under thru four.

Team leaderboard update

22:15 , Michael Jones

It’s close at the top of the team leaderboards but Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs lead the way.

1: Fireballs GC (-3)

T2: Hy Flyers GC (-2)

T2: 4 Aces GC (-2)

T2: Majesticks GC (-2)

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

22:11 , Michael Jones

Here’s Hideto Tanihara’s birdie from the bunker earlier on:

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

22:09 , Michael Jones

There’s about 15 holes left to play for the majority of the fourballs. Carlos Ortiz and Bernd Wiesberger lead the way at two-under.

Pat Perez has dropped at shot on the par-4 sixth. He’s back to -1 thru four holes.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

22:07 , Michael Jones

A huge putt for birdie on the fourth just rolls up next to the hole from Phil Mickelson who is stil level for the round after a couple of early pars.

We’re early on in this second LIV Golf event and some of the negatives from the previous tournament remain.

By far the worst one though is the propaganda espoused from the commentary team.

By their accounts the players have never been happier, the sun has never been warmer and golf has never been better. The fans are also as loud as they can be and the technology at this event is unmatched - especially the microphones on the course which catch the conversations between the players and their caddies.

It’s all eye-rolling stuff that is quite clearly a stretch of the truth - at best.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

21:58 , Michael Jones

Carlos Ortiz’s lead didn’t last long.

Pat Perez and Bernd Wiesberger both join him at two-under after birdies on the fifth and 17th respectively.

Both men have completed three holes with Ortiz still motoring down the 11th which is the third hole for his round.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

21:54 , Michael Jones

Tanihara chips in!

Hideto Tanihara found the green side bunker off the tee on 12 but plays a perfectley weighted recovery from the sand and flicks the ball onto the green where in rolls two-feet into the cup for a birdie.

What a shot from the new captain of Torque GC.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

21:49 , Michael Jones

Carlos Ortiz storms into the lead!

The shotgun starts makes it slightly more difficult to determine where the easier parts of the course are but Carlos Ortiz may have started on the jackpot.

Back-to-back birdies on nine and 10 put the Spaniard out front on his own at the top of the leaderboard.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

21:47 , Michael Jones

Up on the the 17th green Martin Kaymer slides an eagle putt past the right side of the hole but knocks the return home for a birdie to get under par for the round.

Sergio Garcia is playing with Kaymer and he emulates his former Ryder Cup teammate.

Both men are one under thru two now.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

21:39 , Michael Jones

Brooks Koepka (+1) and Abraham Ancer (+1) both bogey the par-5 first. On the second tee Koepka goes into the rough but Ancer fizzes his drive down the middle.

Charl Schwartzel - who won the last LIV Golf event at Centurian Club - is off to a shocking start. He’s taken a double bogey on the par-4 second hole.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

21:33 , Michael Jones

The leaderboard graphic is back!

It fluctuates wildly as the players’ rounds progress. During the last event there was a very annoying ping whenever the board updated - which was a lot. Hopefully the event organisers have done away with that.

It seems like they have.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

21:31 , Michael Jones

Carlos Ortiz - another debutant this week - nicely rolls home a 10-12 footer on the ninth green that curls slightly right to left and drops into the cup just off the edge.

He joins the leaders under par.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

21:29 , Michael Jones

More birdies to talk about!

Bernd Wiesberger teed off on the par-4 15th and is under par thru one. It’s a good start for the Hy Flyers man.

Majesticks GC’s Sam Horsfield, started well at Centurian Club and had done so again in Portland. He rolls a putt in for three on the eighth to go one-under too.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

21:25 , Michael Jones

Pat Perez - one of the new players for this event - shoots to the top of the leaderboard with a birdie two on Hole 3.

His playing partners Ian Poulter and Louis Oosthuizen both putt home for pars.

LIV Golf Portland Invitational: Day 1

21:22 , Michael Jones

There’s a couple of changes to note since I last covered LIV Golf. There is now a live leaderboard on the website which should update as the rounds progress.

On the television footage, the bright leaderboard graphic that was positioned down the side of the screen has gone too. It may come back later though I’m unsure.

Koepka gets underway.

21:17 , Michael Jones

At Centurian Club Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson teed off on the first hole as they were the biggest names to sign up to the tour.

Today it’s Brooks Koepka’s turn for that honour and he smokes his drive straight down the middle of the fairway.

The shotgun start

21:15 , Michael Jones

By far the most distinct part of LIV Golf is the shotgun start for each round where different fourballs tee off on different holes. It’s crazy difficult to keep up with for the fans and the television and I’m not sure they’ll keep it if the tour starts to become legitimised later down the line.

‘They didn’t listen to the players’: Patrick Reed and Pat Perez blame PGA Tour for LIV Golf switch

21:11 , Michael Jones

Patrick Reed and Pat Perez believe the PGA Tour only has itself to blame for losing players to LIV Golf, ahead of the series’ second tournament at Oregon’s Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club this week.

Sitting alongside four-times major winner Brooks Koepka, Perez and 2018 Masters winner Reed ripped into the PGA Tour and its commissioner, Jay Monahan, and said the blame for their departure lay at the feet of the golf organizing body.

“Monahan just shut it out from the start. Didn’t want to listen, didn’t want to take a meeting,” said Perez, a 46-year-old, three-time PGA Tour winner.

“They didn’t listen to the players. Somehow, the tour, they keep talking about ‘Oh yeah, we work for you, we work for the players.’ But it’s the opposite. Seems like we work for them. We don’t have a say in anything.”

Patrick Reed and Pat Perez blame PGA Tour for LIV Golf switch

Lee Westwood insists LIV Golf players shouldn’t face Ryder Cup ban

21:08 , Michael Jones

A defiant Lee Westwood does not believe his Ryder Cup chances should be threatened by his decision to sign up to the LIV Golf Invitational Series.

Last week the DP World Tour fined each of the 17 players who played in the Saudi-backed venture’s first event in Hertfordshire earlier this month £100,000 and banned them from next week’s Scottish Open.

It was accompanied by the threat of additional sanctions for further participation and while a Ryder Cup ban has not been publicly mentioned as a punishment it remains an option open to the DP World Tour.

But Westwood, who along with the other rebels will tee it up in the second of the eight-event series at Pumpkin Ridge in Oregon on Thursday, believes that should not be the case.

Lee Westwood insists LIV Golf players shouldn’t face Ryder Cup ban

Brooks Koepka responds to Rory McIlroy’s ‘duplicitous’ accusation after LIV Golf move

21:03 , Michael Jones

Brooks Koepka insists Rory McIlroy can “think whatever he wants” after being accusing of being “duplicitous” for the manner in which he joined LIV Golf.

Koepka, a four-time major winner, will make his debut in the Saudi-backed tour this week, with the second 54-hole, 48-man tournament kicking off in Portland on Thursday with a prize fund of $25 million (£20.4m).

The 32-year-old complained at the US Open earlier this month that questions on the Saudi-backed tour were throwing a “black cloud” over the major.

While Dustin Johnson stressed his full commitment to the PGA Tour in March before becoming the first superstar name to join Phil Mickelson ahead of the inaugural event at Centurion Club.

Brooks Koepka responds to Rory McIlroy’s ‘duplicitous’ claim after LIV Golf move

What’s the controversy?

21:00 , Michael Jones

The Saudi-funded tour is on a collision course with the two main golfing Tours - the DP World Tour and PGA Tour - who suspended and fined players appearing in these rebel events, with a legal battle between the Tours and LIV Golf likely.

LIV chief executive Greg Norman has been criticised for heading up the breakaway circut, with its Saudi investors accused of “sportswashing” the country’s poor human rights record.

However, the Australian told Sky Sports: “We [LIV Golf] are independent. I do not answer to Saudi Arabia. I can categorically tell you, that’s not the case. I do not answer to MBS.”

LIV Golf live stream: How to watch Day 1

20:57 , Michael Jones

LIV Golf isn’t currently tied to a UK broadcaster, but coverage is being shown via a live stream on their official website, YouTube and Facebook pages, with the action expected to begin at around 9.15pm BST.

What are the teams and who are the captains?

20:54 , Michael Jones

As well as featuring individual winners, each LIV Golf event will have a team component. The 48-player field is split up into 12 teams of four.

Over the course of the three game days a combined score from the lowest team members is totalled to give an overall leader.

The Stingers GC won the team event in London and will be looking to triumph again in the US this week. Here are the captains and which team they’re in charge of:

• Louis Oosthuizen - Stinger GC

• Bryson DeChambeau - Crushers GC

• Lee Westwood - Majesticks GC

• Hideto Tinihara - Torque GC

• Dustin Johnson - 4 Aces GC

• Martin Kaymer - Cleeks GC

• Wade Ormsby - Punch GC

• Graeme McDowell - Niblicks GC

• Brooks Koepka - Smash GC

• Phil Mickelson - Hyflyers GC

• Sergio Garcia - Fireballs GC

• Kevin Na - Iron Heads GC

Full player list for Portland event

20:48 , Michael Jones

Who is in the field?

• Abraham Ancer – Mexico

• Richard Bland – England

• Itthipat Buranatanyarat – Thailand

• Laurie Canter – England

• Eugenio Chacarra – Spain

• Bryson DeChambeau – USA

• Hennie Du Plessis – South Africa

• Sergio Garcia – Spain

• Talor Gooch – USA

• Branden Grace – South Africa

• Justin Harding – South Africa

• Sam Horsfield – England

• Yuki Inamori – Japan

• Dustin Johnson – USA

• Matt Jones – Australia

• Sadom Kaewkanjana – Thailand

• Martin Kaymer – Germany

• Phacara Khongwatmai – Japan

• Sihwan Kim – USA

• Ryosyke Kinoshita – Japan

• Brooks Koepka – USA

• Chase Koepka – USA

• Jinichiro Kozuma – Japan

• Graeme McDowell – Northern Ireland

• Phil Mickelson – USA

• Jediah Morgan – Australia

• Kevin Na – USA

• Shaun Norris – South Africa

• Louis Ooosthuizen – South Africa

• Wade Ormsby – Australia

• Carlos Ortiz – Mexico

• Adrian Otaegui – Spain

• Pat Perez – USA

• Turk Pettit – USA

• James Piot – USA

• Ian Poulter – England

• Patrick Reed – USA

• Charl Schwartzel – South Africa

• Travis Smyth – Australia

• Ian Snyman – South Africa

• Hudson Swafford – USA

• Hideto Tanihara – Japan

• Peter Uihlein – USA

• Scott Vincent – Zimbabwe

• Matt Wolff – USA

• Lee Westwood – England

• Bernd Wiesberger – Austria

• Blade Windred – Australia

How much is the prize money?

20:42 , Michael Jones

Each regular season event will have a prize fund of $25m - every player in the field receives a cut, with a guaranteed $4m for first and $120,000 for last place. Of the $25m, $5m will be split between the top three teams.

The top three players in the overall individual championship will receive a split of $30m, with the overall champion taking $18m, the runner-up receiving $8m and third place getting $4m.

The season-ending team championship has a prize fund of $50m, with the winning team splitting $16m and the team who finishes last receiving $1m. Each player receives a 25 per cent cut.

For comparison, the winner of the PGA Championship, one of golf’s four majors, receives $3m out of a total prize fund of $15m.

What are the rules?

20:36 , Michael Jones

LIV Golf Series events will be played over three days and 54 holes, rather than the traditional four-day events with 72 holes. There won’t be a cut, either, so the 48 players who start the week will play all three rounds.

There will also be individual and team competitions within the same event. The individual competition will be won by the player who shoots the lowest score over 54 holes, as normal.

The team competition, however, will be made up of 12 teams of four players, with team captains selecting the teams using a ‘snake draft’ ahead of the opening event at Centurion Club. Teams will also have their own unique names and logos.

In terms of scoring, the best two individual scores will count towards the team’s overall total across the opening two rounds, with the best three scores combining on the third and final round. The team with the lowest overall score at the end of the third round will be the winner.

What is LIV Golf?

20:30 , Michael Jones

Reports of a new breakaway league first emerged in 2019 but gathered pace last year as two-time Open champion Greg Norman became the face of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series as its chief executive.

With Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund financing the series, there is a clear link to the Saudi Arabia government, whose record on human rights has been criticised by groups such as Amnesty International.

But what for a long time was considered to be a bargaining threat to the traditional PGA and DP World Tours and nothing more took shape as the LIV Golf Series, which also features new competition rules and what tournament organisers say is an “exciting” new format.

LIV Golf returns with second invitational event

19:28 , Michael Jones

The controversial Saudi-backed breakaway tour returns this week as LIV Golf hits America with its second event being held at Pumpkin Ridge in Portland, Oregon.

The breakaway series continues to gather momentum with a number of new players announced since it made its debut at Centurion Club just outside London earlier this month. Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed are among the high-profile players to have recently defected from the PGA Tour joining the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen.

The PGA Tour and DP World Tour have attempted to come down hard on rebel players, issuing suspensions and fines, but the eye-watering sums on offer are proving hard to resist for some players.

South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel won the maiden event in Hemel Hempstead and claimed the £3.85m pot with his team, Stingers GC, also claiming the top prize in the team event.