During his visit to Singapore in May of last year, where he secured a commendable top 10 finish, Dustin Johnson (-8) began a downward spiral in LIV Golf that seemed to hit rock bottom on Sunday in Hong Kong. There, in a surprising and unexpected turn, he finished dead last in the standings, hampered by physical discomfort that affected his game. Yet, just five days later, the South Carolina golfer has risen from the ashes to deliver a masterclass of skill and precision at Sentosa Golf Club.
The winner of both a Masters and a US Open adapted like no other to the challenging conditions of the Asian course—heat, humidity, a touch of wind in the closing stretch of the round, and the looming threat of a storm—carding a vintage round reminiscent of the days when he ruled world golf with an iron fist. A flawless 63, featuring eight birdies, some from long range like the one on the 2nd hole that capped his Thursday, propelled him to the top of the leaderboard with a three-shot lead.
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) March 14, 2025
In years past, such a brilliant tournament start would have been a near-guarantee of a Sunday victory for DJ. However, his recent inconsistency, coupled with the caliber of the names chasing him on the leaderboard, makes the weekend outcome in Singapore a complete enigma. Almost every star in this Saudi-backed tour, with the notable exception of Bryson DeChambeau (+3), who remains out of sorts, showed up on the first day of competition in the fourth event of the LIV season.
Cameron Smith (-4), without being particularly sharp on the greens—typically his strength—has positioned himself near the top early on. Joaquín Niemann (-4), unable to birdie the par-five 18th, Brooks Koepka (-4), far more comfortable with the putter than from tee to green, and even Patrick Reed (-3) and a resurgent Phil Mickelson (-2), who continues to show solid signs of recovery, are all in the mix. And alongside them, towering above, is Jon Rahm (-4).
The golfer from Barrika, in a round where he wasn’t especially accurate off the tee with several misses to the right, still managed—as he almost always does—to post a strong score. He started poorly, three-putting for bogey on the par-three 2nd, his opening hole of the day, but his response was immediate and emphatic: four birdies over the next five holes to briefly share the lead. He had to wait until the 15th, dodging a couple of hazards along the way, to notch his fifth birdie of the day. Though a wayward shot into a fairway bunker on the 16th cost him his second and final bogey, the Spaniard bounced back once more.
He did so with a touch of magic on the devilish 18th green, sinking a sixth birdie with a treacherous first putt—almost facing away from the hole with a massive break—followed by a tap-in to seal a 67, four shots off the lead but with plenty left to say. It marked Jon’s 19th consecutive under-par round in LIV Golf; one more tomorrow, and he’ll tie Bryson DeChambeau’s circuit record for consecutive sub-par rounds.
Closest to DJ was Sebastián Muñoz (-5), who delivered a rock-solid performance with just one blemish in his round. Louis Oosthuizen (-4), Paul Casey (-4), Abraham Ancer (-4), Cameron Tringale (-4), and even Peter Uihlein (-3)—who once again mixed colossal mistakes with improbable brilliance (a double bogey, two bogeys, three birdies, and two eagles)—remain in contention. Also in the hunt is a strong David Puig (-3), who posted a consistent Friday with two birdies, an eagle, and a lone bogey on the par-three 17th.
Luis Masaveu (-1), far from the stunning start he enjoyed seven days ago in Hong Kong, still managed an under-par card. Meanwhile, the hangover from the China event hit winner Sergio García (+1), who, despite avoiding major mistakes, couldn’t get much going and failed to create many scoring chances. In the team standings, the 4Aces (-14), powered by DJ, lead by two shots over Joaquín Niemann’s Torque (-12). The Fireballs (-7), chasing a third straight win, sit fourth, while Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII (-5) has yet to fully ignite.
