At LIV and loving it, Leishman returns to the majors and gets in the mix at the US Open
OAKMONT, Pa. — 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 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 iafter 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 .
'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 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.'
___
golf: /hub/golf
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
Enough talent to win series: Michael Clarke feels India is in 'safe hands', picks 'X-factor' against England
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Former Australia captain Michael Clarke believes India is in "safe hands" and has "enough talent" to trounce England, but it will all come down to how the young-looking squad will leave a mark in the series on a territory known for being "tough."India has taken the first steps towards a new era after batting maestros Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli bid farewell to the Test format more than a month before the five-match series kicks off at Headingley on June 20. Shubman Gill was deemed Rohit's successor and appointed the Test captain, with Rishabh Pant serving as his deputy. Apart from the two batting bigwigs, India will line up without crafty off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, and seasoned pacer Mohammed Shami, who wasn't deemed fit to make the cut for the from the absent stars, India will have to devise a blueprint to maximise Jasprit Bumrah 's limited availability. India has the option to exercise the policy of using its pace spearhead just three times in the series. As of now, clouds of uncertainty hover over which three Test Bumrah would be available to play for."Well, yes, I do give them a chance, but it's a lot more inexperienced team than the one I expected it to be on a plane to England. Having no Rohit Sharma, no Virat Kohli is huge. Players come, players go, people retire, and the game moves on. So, that does not mean a new captain is the worst thing for India. I'm not saying that. Somebody retires, and that gives somebody else an opportunity," Clarke said while speaking to Boria Majumdar on Revsportz."The main thing for me, though, is the Indian bowling attack. So we're all aware that Bumrah(Jasprit) is not going to play five tests. So, which test matches is he going to play? Does he play the first three in a row? You win this series, and the last two will not matter. I don't think that's going to be the case. I think it's going to have to be spaced out because the reason he's not going to play five is for his body," he continued."And then I also saw no Shami(Mohammed) in the squad as well. I think him missing the Australian series was huge, and if he and a fit Bumrah was in Australia then it would have been a very different series. But then India has huge talent. You know, I think talent-wise, India will always be in safe hands. It's just how soon can some of these players make a mark in this series. Five test matches in England is tough, tough cricket, and they need to be conscious of that," he the limited or nonexistent availability of some stars, India has brought in a couple of new faces to replace experience with talent. Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, and Yashasvi Jaiswal are some players who will take the field for the first time for India in England while donning the the bowling department, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, and Arshdeep will test English batters with their blistering pace, in addition to Bumrah. Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep is the sole frontline ball-tweaker picked for the five Tests, who, for Clarke, will be the "X-factor"."It is a very good attack. Look, I think there's enough talent to win the series in the Indian squad. It's just experience. And like I say, I found playing in India and playing in England in Test match cricket are the two hardest things to do. They're the two biggest series, but the other two hardest places to win. England is just one of those places where you need confidence, you need self-belief, and playing in the conditions and having success there generally gives you that. So, for a lot of these players, it's going to be their first time to play a five-test match series in those conditions. Now, that doesn't mean you can't win. The positive with that is you can play fearless cricket because you don't know what you don't know," he said."So you don't have scars, or you don't have fear. So that could be a positive. I love seeing Kuldeep out there. I think he's earned the right to be India's first-pick spinner. I think he's a match-winner. I think he has an X factor. And I think he will be defining. If India wins the series, I think Kuldeep Yadav could be the difference. He's that big a player, in my opinion, in this Indian team," he Test squad for England series : Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar , Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Matthew Hayden, Kane Williamson Pick Their Greatest Test XIs Of The 21st Century
Last Updated: Aussie icon Hayden and Kiwi great Williamson drafted their respective best Test XI from the 21st century, featuring some illustrious names from across the globe. Australian legend Mathew Hayden and New Zealand great Kane Williamson drafted their respective best Test XI from the 21st century, featuring some illustrious names from across the globe. The selection process was divided into categories and the icons were tasked with drafting the openers, the middle order, spinners and seamers. Hayden won the right to go first and named Aussie legend Shane Warne as his first pick, while Williamson drafted Hayden and dashing former Indian opener Virender Sehwag to open the innings for him. Hayden opted for Alastair Cook and David Warner to open the innings for his side. Williamson's picks for No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, were Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar, as Hayden went on to pick Brian Lara and Jacques Kallis. Williamson drafted in Glenn McGrath and Sri Lankan spin wizard Muthiah Muralidaran, while Hayden added the Indian duo of Virat Kohli and VVS Laxman for his 5 and 6 spots in the middle order. Williamson named former Indian skipper MS Dhoni as his keeper, while Hayden opted for compatriot Adam Gilchrist behind the wickets. Williamson resorted to Steve Smith for his No.5 batter, while Hayden picked up Pat Cummins to add to his bowling lineup. The Kiwi added South African AB de Villiers to his lineup while the Aussie dafter pacer Brett Lee to his unit. Hayden closed out his picks with English seamer James Anderson, while Williamson finished off with the pick of Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar. Kane Williamson's Best Test XI of the 21st Century: Matthew Hayden, Virender Sehwag, Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Steve Smith, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni, Dale Steyn, Shoaib Akhtar, Glenn McGrath, Muthiah Muralidaran. Matthew Hayden's Best Test XI of the 21st Century: Alastair Cook, David Warner, Jacques Kallis, Brian Lara, Virat Kohli, VVS Laxman, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Pat Cummins, Brett Lee, James Anderson. First Published: June 15, 2025, 12:16 IST News cricket Matthew Hayden, Kane Williamson Pick Their Greatest Test XIs Of The 21st Century
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Mitch Johnson Slams Australia, Says Pacer 'Prioritised IPL Over National Team'
Last Updated: Mitchell Johnson took aim at Josh Hazlewood for 'prioritising IPL over Australia' and asked the selectors to not see the bowling big-four as a 'lock' going forward. Australian legend Mitchell Johnson, in a scathing assessment of the team's World Test Championship (WTC) loss to South Africa, has said that the bowling 'big four' of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon should no longer be seen as a 'lock', asking the selectors to consider changing things. He put particular focus on Hazlewood, who could only manage two wickets in the five-wicket defeat. Johnson accused the pacer of 'prioritising' featuring in the IPL over 'national team preparations' when the league resumed after a week-long break. Hazlewood was carrying a side strain and returned a few days after the season resumed, before eventually leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to their maiden title. 'Our successful 'big four' bowling attack of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon can't be taken for granted as a lock going forward either," Johnson wrote in The West Australian. 'We've seen concerns about Hazlewood's fitness in recent years, and his decision to prioritise returning to the delayed Indian Premier League over his national team preparations raised eyebrows. Lyon didn't look his best on day three either," he added. Australia had a look of a peaking side in the competition, with most players over 30 years of age. After the match, skipper Cummins also hinted at a possible reset. But Johnson wondered whether the seniors were 'sticking around' for the Ashes in the summer to get a 'send-off', and urged for chances to hungrier fringe players. 'If veteran players are sticking around just for the Ashes as a send-off, it does beg the question of whether that's the right mindset. It's crucial that we embrace the future and build confidence in selecting our next Test players. Players on the fringe such as Sam Konstas, Josh Inglis and Scott Boland, despite being 36, have a different mentality. They're eager to prove themselves every time they get a chance," Johnson added. Johnson also said that neither Cameron Green at number three nor Marnus Labuschagne as the opener are long-term solutions for Australia. 'It's obvious Green didn't perform well – out for 4 and 0 and facing just five balls for the match. And the way he got out to Kagiso Rabada in both innings highlights that he might not be suited for that position. But the real issue stems from Marnus Labuschagne's poor form, similar to what we saw with Steve Smith moving up to open when he was struggling a bit. I'm just not a fan of these batting reshuffles to cover for lack of form. With the West Indies tour and then the Ashes coming up this summer, Australia will need to settle on not only two openers but also find a reliable No.3," he added.
