Angry Cameron Smith co-leads Liv Golf in Andalucia
The Australian and England's Lee Westwood were at one-under before play was called.
Smith was through 16 holes before play was halted, with Westwood through 15. Also tied for first were Talor Gooch (through 10 holes), Joaquin Niemann of Chile (16 holes) and Branden Grace of South Africa (16 holes).
Your individual and team leaderboards thru 13 holes of LIV Golf Andalucía 📈The remaining 5 holes of Round 1 will be played Saturday morning.#LIVGolfAndalucía pic.twitter.com/gs2jXOlRRp
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) July 11, 2025
"It was windy the whole day really and got up the last probably couple of hours," Smith said of gusts that reached 33 mph. "Yeah, just kind of had to deal with it and get on with it. It was very tricky out there."
First-round play is set to resume at 8am local time Saturday with the second round immediately to follow.
Smith was at four under through 14 holes before he started to struggle with the wind, collecting a double-bogey five at the par-3 15th hole and a bogey at the par-4 16th.
"It was definitely getting to a stage with three or four holes to go that everyone was pretty tired out there and angry to be honest," Smith said.
"It was a very frustrating day. ... You can play this golf course with no wind and it's brutal. When you get 30-mph gusts, it's definitely not an easy place to get around."
Westwood also was at four under through his first seven holes, but his hot start was disrupted by a double bogey at No.8, followed by a bogey at No.11. He made par on his final four holes before play was halted.
Niemann, who has won four times already this season, had a birdie at No.4 before making 12 consecutive pars when play was stopped.
Bryson DeChambeau finished his round at even par and was tied for second place with Spain's Jon Rahm, who was through 14 holes.
A group of 10 sat another shot behind at one over, including Phil Mickelson and United States Ryder Cup hopeful Patrick Reed.
DeChambeau had three birdies with three bogeys and was at one-under for the round before a bogey six at the 17th.
Reed is coming off his first LIV victory on June 29 at LIV Golf Dallas at Carrollton, Texas, winning in a playoff over England's Paul Casey, Japan's Jinichiro Kozuma and South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen.
Defending champion Sergio Garcia of Spain was in a logjam at two over through 14 holes along with Australian Matt Jones (five holes).
Marc Leishman was at four over after five holes, while Lucas Herbert was two shots further back after five holes, too.
Play was suspended at 5:07 pm local time and did not resume.
This is the first European stop on the 2025 LIV Golf calendar.
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Associated Press
38 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Scottie Scheffler comparisons might be closer to Jack Nicklaus than Tiger Woods
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — Even with four majors, three legs of the Grand Slam and 20 victories around the world, it's a little early to be making Scottie Scheffler comparisons. And yes, it's a bit silly. But one moment is worth noting. His four-shot victory at the British Open complete, Scheffler saw 15-month-old son Bennett coming toward him on the 18th green at Royal Portrush. The toddler face-planted going up the slope. Scheffler eventually scooped him into his left arm, his right hand holding the claret jug. This was pure joy. It was reminiscent of Canterbury in the 1973 PGA Championship. Jack Nicklaus, who that week broke the record for most major titles, was coming off the 18th green after the second round when 4-year-old son Gary ran out to meet him. The Golden Bear carried off his cub. 'My favorite photo in golf,' Nicklaus said years later in a Facebook post that he ended by saying, 'Family first, golf second.' Sound familiar? 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Woods was overwhelming, winning the Masters by 12 shots, the U.S. Open by 15 and the British Open at St. Andrews by eight for the career Grand Slam at age 24. Scheffler is relentless. He can take the drama out of a major without notice. He's the first player to win each of his first four majors by at least three shots since J.H. Taylor more than a century ago, when the British Open was the only major and had fields smaller than a signature event. Nicklaus picked up on this at the Memorial without ever talking to Scheffler about it. Before the tournament, Nicklaus spoke about his approach to golf — more emphasis on the tee shot (left-to-right shape, like Scheffler) and the approach, less dependence on putting for a good score. And when he got the lead, Nicklaus did what was required. Scheffler won that week by four shots. 'Once I got myself into position to win, then you've got to be smart about how you finish it,' Nicklaus said. 'And that's the way he's playing. 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He can no longer go to one of them because he is recognized. At the other one he's just a guy at the counter trying to decide if he wants extra guacamole. 'I try to live as normal of a life as possible because I feel like a normal guy,' he said. 'I have the same friends I had growing up. I don't think that I'm anything special just because some weeks I'm better at shooting a lower score than other guys are.' There was one other Scheffler comparison. Nicklaus doesn't believe he could have achieved all that he did without his wife, Barbara, whom he honored this year at the Memorial and who is universally regarded as the first lady of golf. Nicklaus played his 164th and final major at St. Andrews in 2005 and said that week: 'I'm not really concerned about what my legacy is in relation to the game of golf, frankly. I'm more concerned with what my legacy is with my family, with my kids and my grandkids. That's by far more important to me.' Scheffler's emotions began to pour out at Royal Portrush only when he saw Meredith, the girl he first met as a high school freshman and finally dated as a senior. He made his PGA Tour debut at the Byron Nelson that year at 17. He recalled being at her house the week before when a promotion about the tournament came on TV. Meredith said to him: 'Wait a minute. Isn't that what you're doing?' Scheffler said she's a fast learner. 'Every time I'm able to win a tournament, the first person I always look for is my wife,' he said Sunday. 'She knows me better than anybody. That's my best friend. It takes a lot of work to be able to become good at this game, and I wouldn't be able to do it without her support.' To the rest of golf world, he's the No. 1 player in the world, now the 'champion golfer of the year.' Fame won't escape him now even if it doesn't define him. ___ On The Fringe analyzes the biggest topics in golf during the season. ___ AP golf:


New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Will Patri Guijarro be the next Spain midfielder to win the Ballon d'Or?
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The moment that sums it up best is her goal against Italy: not just because she got herself on the scoresheet, but because of the nature of the goal. Latching onto a loose ball from an Italy clearance, she simply slammed it into the net. Spain have scored prettier goals at this tournament, but this was what Guijarro is all about. What other defensive midfielders would regard as a potential interception, she sees as a potential goal. From defence to attack, without pausing for breath. Guijarro finished a respectable 11th in the Ballon d'Or voting last year, although she was behind five Barcelona team-mates, and ultimately her role is generally considered to be about letting more attacking players shine. But her performances at Euro 2025 have been even more dominant than we've become accustomed to. In this form, she is a serious contender to be named the best player at this tournament, and maybe the best in the world.


New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
The opportunity for Marcus Rashford at Barcelona is potentially huge – and very different to Manchester
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Rashford will have to earn his star status, just as David Beckham did when he moved from United to Spain's other footballing giants, Real Madrid. Beckham's new team-mates, who thought the Englishman had been signed to help sell shirts, soon appreciated the Englishman for his work rate. Off the pitch, Barcelona is one of the best cities in the world, and there are numerous daily flights between Manchester and the Catalan capital: many of Manchester City's executives use them. Living in Barcelona — most players' homes are by the Mediterranean to the south of the city, near the airport — can be a blessing for a footballer who needs a change of scene. Leaving Manchester and the negativity that had built around Rashford — his relationship with United and most fans is damaged, though there were serious mitigating factors — could help. But he must be seen to connect with Barcelona's fans and the local media; to be a good person and embrace Catalan culture. Humility is important at a club that is owned by its members, who vote Barca's president in. Advertisement The media is also influential and significantly different to what Rashford will be used to in the UK. Ilkay Gundogan barely engaged when he left Manchester for Barcelona in summer 2023 on a free transfer after City's treble-winning season and was given a harsh time. When the German, now back with City after just a year at Barca, started to involve himself more, he was viewed in a different, more positive light. No matter how big the name, though, there's little patience for unprofessionalism, and the scrutiny will be fierce. Not since Gary Neville became Valencia manager nearly a decade ago will someone moving from Mancunia to Iberia have faced so much attention. 'They made our own pressmen appear like pussycats,' recalled Hughes in his autobiography. A man who had been United's star striker quickly felt that the Catalan media tried to turn the fans against him as a way of getting to the president who sanctioned his move. Hughes had little issue with what was being written in Spanish as he couldn't understand the language, more that it was being fed back to the British media. It quickly became a nightmare for him. Englishmen Terry Venables and Bobby Robson also had a rough ride during their spells as Barcelona's manager, despite their successes there, for reasons they had little control over at what is the most political of football clubs. History, however, remembers them both, and Lineker, well. Rashford now has his chance. The stage is set, and by the end of his loan, he could be playing to the biggest crowds in Spanish football as Barca's Camp Nou renovations near completion, which will turn it into a 105,000-capacity stadium. 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