Johnson 1 shot back of Ortiz after Round 1 of LIV Golf's U.S. debut
Carlos Ortiz fired a 5-under 67 to take a one-shot lead after 18 holes at Pumpkin Ridge as LIV Golf's first-ever event on American soil got underway on Thursday.
Dustin Johnson is one stroke back from the top of the leaderboard after shooting a round of 4-under 68 in Portland. His team, the 4 Aces GC, holds the top score at 7-under and has a two-stroke edge over Stinger GC.
Ortiz's team, Fireballs GC, is tied for third with Torque GC at three shots back.
Meanwhile, a handful of newcomers made their anticipated debuts on the rival circuit, including Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, and Abraham Ancer.
Koepka, who fared the best out of all the notable newcomers, is tied for sixth after carding a 2-under 70. DeChambeau and Reed are tied for 14th after breaking even, while Ancer sits tied for 21st after shooting 1-over par.
The individual winner of the tournament - which concludes on Saturday after 54 holes - will receive $4 million, while the last-place player will earn $120,000.