Johnson's 9-Under Surge... '2 Consecutive Wins GO' After Boston Victory
Smith 6-Under 2nd Place, Wolf 5-Under 3rd Place 'Chase'
Dustin Johnson is warming up at the driving range before the first round of the LIV Golf Invitational Chicago tournament. Photo by EPA Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] Dustin Johnson (USA), a 'first-generation transfer' in the LIV Golf Invitational Series, took the solo lead on the first day of the Chicago tournament.
On the 16th (local time), Johnson shot 9-under-par 63 with nine birdies in the first round of the tournament held at Rich Harvest Farms (par 72, 7,408 yards) near Sugar Grove, Illinois, USA, topping the leaderboard. Earlier this month at the Boston tournament, Johnson swept both the individual and team events, earning $4.75 million (6.6 billion KRW). In just four tournaments since his transfer, he has earned a total of $9.425 million (13.1 billion KRW). This surpasses his previous single-season highest earnings of $9.36 million on the PGA Tour.
Cameron Smith is teeing off on the 12th hole during the first round of the LIV Golf Invitational Chicago tournament. Photo by AP Yonhap News
Cameron Smith (Australia) is in second place, three strokes behind at 6-under-par 66. He recorded six birdies without any bogeys. He joined LIV Golf last month on the 30th with a transfer fee of $100 million (139 billion KRW). Matthew Wolff (USA) is in third place at 5-under-par 67, continuing the chase.
The LIV Golf tournament overwhelms the PGA Tour in terms of prize money. The total prize money for this tournament is $25 million (3.47 billion KRW), with the individual winner's prize at $4 million (550 million KRW). Meanwhile, the ongoing PGA Tour 2022-2023 season opener, the Fortinet Championship, offers a total prize money of $8 million (1.11 billion KRW) and a winner's prize of $1.44 million (200 million KRW).
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