That followers of LIV Golf, through their mobile application, have the possibility to choose their favourite groups for the first round of each tournament led to this Thursday, at the Las Vegas Country Club in the city of gambling, a stellar match of authentic bombers could be enjoyed: Bryson DeChambeau (-3), Brooks Koepka (-2) and Jon Rahm (-2). Although the truth is that the result has been, unfortunately, somewhat below expectations…
The one from Modesto left some brilliant shots, was always in the right place, although he could hardly take advantage of his hitting beyond the par fives. The one from West Palm Beach combined geniuses, such as an impressive recovery for par from the bunker just starting or an excellent approach shot to finish, with gross errors. And the one from Barrika, who reacted wonderfully to the bogey with which he started, executing what was undoubtedly the best shot of his round, a sensational iron on his second hole brushing the eagle from the fairway to leave the birdie made, took more than half a round to get under par. Basically, due to his lack of precision approaching.
Crazy backspin from @JonRahmOfficial 😱#LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/tP4sTzrHFd
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) February 8, 2024
Jon played relatively well from tee to green, but did not manage to create too many clear birdie options (the 11th, putting from a couple of meters, was perhaps his biggest mistake on the greens). He did, however, save delicate situations, such as the one he experienced on hole 7 after sending his ball to the rough with no option to give it height due to the branches of the trees; on the 12th, when his club slipped in full swing from the tee and his ball ended up far to the right, in the sand obstacle; or on the 18th, after his tee shot ended up after bouncing off a tree next to an advertising panel.
Until hole 14, the thirteenth of his round (his match started on the 2nd), the one from Barrika could not put his score in red by sinking a putt of more than three and a half meters. And although his final result could have changed substantially if he had hit a good birdie option on the 15th or a long putt on the 16th that passed inches from the cup, the 17th showed that it was not his day, with a quite comfortable approach with which he went from thinking about making a possible birdie to having to recover from the rough due to a distance error.
Rahmbo with a huge par save 💪#LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/ElWVJqzsfm
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) February 8, 2024
Fortunately, Rahm was able to close his round with his third birdie of the day for a round of 68 strokes, two under par, which, while placing him in the middle of the leaderboard, tied for 22nd place, will allow him to face the last two rounds with intact options to fight for victory. Like the ones the other Spaniards in the fray will have, David Puig (-3), the best of the four with five birdies and two bogeys, Eugenio López-Chacarra (-2) and Sergio García (-1).
Harold Varner III, from tailender to co-leader
One of the great stories of this first round of the LIV Golf tournament in Las Vegas was starred by Harold Varner III (-7). More seriously than jokingly, Dustin Johnson (-3), captain of his team, dropped this week that if it were up to him, he would not have changed Peter Uihlein for the golfer from Akron in the tour’s transfer market. Statements that came after Varner III finished last week at Mayakoba. But today, against all odds, he has turned the tables.
He signed a sensational round of 63 strokes, seven below the par of the field, to place himself co-leader alongside Paul Casey (-7). Both have opened a small two-stroke lead over the group of four pursuers formed by Thomas Pieters (-5), Bubba Watson (-5), Jason Kokrak (-5) and Matthew Wolff (-5), protagonist of another of the most talked-about team changes last winter on the Saudi circuit.
HV3 flag hunting out of the gate 🔥
He’s 3-under through 5 holes 👀#LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/wZr6SOyUbs
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) February 8, 2024
The RangeGoats lead by teams
The RangeGoats GC (-15) of Wolff, Watson, Pieters and Uihlein, whose result was the discarded one, dominate the team classification after these first 18 holes of competition in Las Vegas with a one-stroke lead over the Crushers GC (-14) of Casey, Lahiri, DeChambeau and Howell III and two over the Smash GC (-13) of Kokrak, McDowell, Gooch and Koepka and the 4Aces GC (-13) of Varner III, DJ, Pérez and Reed.
The Fireballs GC (-8) of Puig, Ancer, Chacarra and Sergio and the Legión XIII (-8) of Hatton, Surratt, Rahm and Vincent share the fifth position of this classification, seven from the leaders.
