ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Jinichiro Kozuma birdied his first three holes in a bogey-free round of 9-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead Friday after the first round of the LIV Series golf tournament.
Starting on the 15th hole in the shotgun-style start, the Japanese player had seven birdies and an eagle on the par-5 seventh hole at The Grange, where last year's inaugural event featured one of the largest galleries of the year on the LIV series.
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Captain Sergio Garcia of Fireballs GC hits his shot from the 11th tee during the practice round for LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Charles Laberge/LIV Golf via AP)
Captain Martin Kaymer of Cleeks GC hits his shot on the 18th hole during the practice round for LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via AP)
Captain Phil Mickelson of HyFlyers GC hits a shot on the second hole during the practice round for LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Matthew Harris/LIV Golf via AP)
Captain Joaquín Niemann of Torque GC reacts during the practice round for LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Charles Laberge/LIV Golf via AP)
Captain Dustin Johnson of 4Aces GC is shown during the practice round for LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Matt Turner/LIV Golf via AP)
Jinichiro Kozuma of Iron Heads GC waits on the 18th hole during the practice round for LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via AP)
Local media reported 40,000 spectators attended Friday.
“Today my putting was really good, it was really hot,” Kozuma said. “I had some troubles here and there, but my putting was there to help me get through pars."
Carlos Ortiz and Danny Lee were tied for second with 64s, while four others were tied for fourth with 65s. The group included Jon Rahm, who has yet to win since joining LIV in December.
“Obviously on any kind of golf course, if you start the tournament with an 8-under round, it’s very good," Lee said. "There’s a lot of birdie holes out there. Whatever I was doing today and whatever Jinny (Kozuma) was doing today worked out pretty good.”
Ortiz said if the wind stays the way it is, coming after the rain leading into the tournament, “I think it definitely sets up the golf course pretty gettable, especially if you put it in the fairway.”
Series points leader Joaquin Niemann, who has two LIV titles this season, opened with a 67. Talor Gooch, who won the first of his three LIV titles last season at Adelaide, shot 68.
The LIV tour remains in the Asia region next week for the May 3-5 Singapore event at the Sentosa Golf Club. Then there's a month-long break before resuming in Houston from June 7-9.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Captain Sergio Garcia of Fireballs GC hits his shot from the 11th tee during the practice round for LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Charles Laberge/LIV Golf via AP)
Captain Martin Kaymer of Cleeks GC hits his shot on the 18th hole during the practice round for LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via AP)
Captain Phil Mickelson of HyFlyers GC hits a shot on the second hole during the practice round for LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Matthew Harris/LIV Golf via AP)
Captain Joaquín Niemann of Torque GC reacts during the practice round for LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Charles Laberge/LIV Golf via AP)
Captain Dustin Johnson of 4Aces GC is shown during the practice round for LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Matt Turner/LIV Golf via AP)
Jinichiro Kozuma of Iron Heads GC waits on the 18th hole during the practice round for LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via AP)
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Masses of residents fled a running battle Thursday between gang members and police in one of the few neighborhoods of Haiti’s capital that hadn't already been fully taken over by gangs, as violence flared amid political turmoil.
Families frantically packed mattresses and furniture into cars and carried their belongings on their heads as they left the Solino neighborhood, one of a handful of areas in Port-au-Prince where a coalition of gangs, called Viv Ansanm, and police were locked in a violent firefight over the past several days.
“We barely made it out,” said 52-year-old Jean-Jean Pierre, who carrying his son in his arms as he fled the neighborhood with throngs of people. “I've lived here 40 years of my life and I've never seen it this bad.”
Violence has exploded in the capital since Sunday when Haiti's transitional council created to restore democratic order fired the interim prime minister amid political infighting. The Caribbean nation hasn't held an election since 2016, largely because of the gang violence.
The U.N. International Office for Migration reports that since Sunday more than 4,300 people have fled their homes in Port-au-Prince and neighboring towns, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters at the U.N. in New York on Thursday,
Gangs like the Viv Ansanm coalition often seize on moments of political chaos to make power grabs like the one seen in Solino in recent days.
Gangs also largely shut down the country's main airport by shooting a number of planes, wounding one flight attendant on Monday. The United Nations said that it documented 20 armed clashes in Port-au-Prince in just one day. The U.N. estimates that gangs control 85% of the city.
A U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police sent to subdue the gangs has been unable to quell the violence.
Pierre, the fleeing father, said he hasn't seen any presence of the U.N.-backed mission in his neighborhood, and that he and his family don't know where they'll go. Other residents said gang members had forced them from their homes and burned their belongings.
“These gangs are more powerful than the police,” Pierre said.
The United Nations has mobilized help, spokesman Dujarric said.
In the past two days, he said the U.N. children's agency UNICEF provided cash to nearly 1,500 people in displacement sites in the capital and the U.N. population and migration agencies deployed mobile health clinics and are providing clean water. Starting Thursday, he said, the U.N. World Food Program delivered food to more than 50,000 displaced people in Port-au-Prince.
“Across Haiti, WFP has also provided cash to nearly 100,000 people and is delivering daily meals to 430,000 children in 2,000 schools across the country," Dujarric said.
The country's new interim prime minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, has been largely silent about the violence since he was sworn in on Monday, but on Wednesday released a statement condemning the plane shootings. His office said that he ordered police to regain control of the airport and nearby areas.
Meanwhile, videos on social media have shown smoke rising up from the Solino area, as gunfire has echoed from the neighborhood's streets in recent days.
While it wasn’t immediately clear how many people were fleeing the violence in Solino, it appeared that much of the neighborhood was emptying out.
Residents said that gang members had killed a police officer who was known as a community leader fighting back against the gangs. That killing also was reported by local media, though The Associated Press wasn't able to confirm the death with authorities.
In October, the same gang coalition made a similar violent push into the Solino neighborhood, setting fire to homes and leaving many fleeing with all they could carry or calling radio stations to plead for help.
Megan Janetsky contributed to this report from Mexico City.
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
Children sleep on the floor at a school where residents of the Nazon neighborhood displaced by gang violence have sought refuge, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Residents flee their homes to escape gang violence in the Nazon neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Residents flee their homes to escape gang violence in the Nazon neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A motorcycle taxi driver crosses a barricade set up by residents, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
An asthmatic girl rests as she takes refuge in a private school serving as a shelter for residents fleeing gang violence in the Nazon neighborhood, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Residents flee their homes to escape gang violence in the Nazon neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Residents flee their homes to escape gang violence in the Nazon neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
The body of a man who was shot dead by a stray bullet, is secured to the floor of a tap-tap, in the Solino neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
