LIV Golf's Marc Leishman returns to majors, gets in the mix at U.S. Open

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 Open 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