Las penas con bombas son menos penas. Bryson DeChambeau (-8) has quickly and efficiently shaken off the disappointment of the last round of the Masters Tournament with a sensational 63 in the first round of the LIV Golf Mexico being held from this Friday at the Club de Golf Chapultepec.
The double US Open champion is the first leader after maximising every inch of his driver. He started the round by reaching the green on the 2nd hole and scoring a magnificent eagle, and finished by reaching the green again on the 1st hole, although this time he missed the putt and had to settle for a birdie. He celebrated both shots as if he had scored a goal in a World Cup final to the delight of the crowd. He handles the show like no one else these days.
If anyone thought DeChambeau would be downcast by the outcome of the first Major of the year, they were mistaken. He started the day with an eagle and was four under par after the first three holes. He made eight birdies and an eagle against a solitary bogey. He took advantage of the holes where his power is an advantage, namely the reachable par 4s and the three par 5s. He is still not particularly sharp with the irons, but he more than makes up for it with the driver and putter.
Jon Rahm (-7) has also quickly and effectively recovered from the Masters. It wasn’t the week he expected in Augusta, but his performance in Mexico has been excellent. He shot a 64, also starting in a whirlwind with three consecutive birdies. He made nine birdies throughout his round against two bogeys. He has been hot on the heels of DeChambeau’s cluster bombs and almost turned Chapultepec upside down with a hole-in-one on the 18th, the former 17th of the WGC where he already made a hole-in-one in the past. The ball skimmed the hole and left him with an easy birdie. A golden finish to the round in front of the apathetic gaze of a melancholic Brooks Koepka (-2).
Another who needs to turn around a lacklustre year is Cameron Smith (-7). The Australian finally manages to start a tournament in LIV with a good score. His round of 64, also with nine birdies and two bogeys, puts him tied at the top with Rahm and allows him to strongly present his candidacy for victory. He is one of the most dangerous players in the Saudi league when he starts a tournament well. From there, we have a gap. Bubba Watson (-5) is fourth and Tyrrell Hatton (-4) is fifth, both alone.
As for the other three Spaniards, Luis Masaveu (-1) and David Puig (-1) have started well, just two shots off the top 10, while Sergio García (+3) has had his weakest day in LIV since he started in 2025. He made three birdies, four bogeys, and a double bogey. Too many mistakes for a player who usually makes very few per round. It seems the altitude of Chapultepec has caught him out. Victory is now out of reach for the man from Castellón, but he needs to push in the remaining two rounds to earn points in the LIV ranking and continue to aspire to places in the US Open and the British.
