Lahiri launches Asian Games tune-up in ideal fashion with shared Chicago lead

Hangzhou Asian Games-bound Anirban Lahiri began the final leg of his preparations for China in ideal fashion with the shared lead after the first day of LIV Golf Chicago on Friday, firing a 5 under par and hold joint top spot with four others.

The Indian star, who finished second at LIV Golf Bedminster last month and followed that up with a third-place result at the International Series England on the Asian Tour, knows he’s in good form but is hoping it eventually pays off in a tournament victory.

“There's been some good results, but the win has been a bit elusive,” Lahiri said later on the LIV Golf website. “… Obviously I'm doing some good things because I'm playing good golf. That's all that matters. Results will take care of themselves as long as I do the right thing.”

Lahiri mixed six birdies with one dropped shot and his score also helped the Crushers share second place in the team standings on 12 under par, one shot behind the all-South African combination of Stinger GC.

Alongside him at the top of the leaderboard were Jediah Morgan of the all-Aussie Rippers, Fireballs GC captain Sergio Garcia, Stinger skipper Louis Oosthuizen, and Torque’s Sebastián Muñoz on a packed leaderboard on which 19 other players were within two shots of the lead.

The chasing pack included team captains Brooks Koepka of Smash GC who is also Ryder Cup bound after Chicago, Dustin Johnson of the 4Aces, and Bryson DeChambeau who leads the Crushers, all on 3 under 68s, and Joaquin Niemann (Torque), who had a 67 along with nine others including Lahiri’s team mate Charles Howell III.

And while the four other leaders have sealed their slots for the 2024 season, the 23-year-old Morgan is one of four currently facing relegation at the end of the season. The Australian is 46th with just three points and is hoping for a big result at Rich Harvest Farms could to get away from the threat of relegation

Non-captains ranked 45th or worse will be relegated but have a chance to play their way back in later this year at the promotion tournament.

“I know where I am and everyone keeps reminding me where I am, so it's pretty hard to get away from it,” said Morgan, who posted the low round in the field on Sunday at the previous LIV Golf event in Bedminster last month.

“So, there's no point in me trying to act like it's not there in my head. It's obviously there. But I know if I play well enough, put myself in the position I think to make putts for birdie, then that's really all you can do.”

The Stingers, who have finished third in each of the last three tournaments, top the team leaderboard on 13 under, with Charl Schwartzel and Dean Burmester contributing 67s to support Oosthuizen and a strong finish this week could make them one of the top four seeds receiving a bye at the team finale in Miami.

“We’re playing well,” Oosthuizen said. “… We help each other out to try and get into form, and especially now with Miami around the corner, we really want to give a good push to the end.”

The Crushers and Fireballs are one stroke back aon12 under, with the Rippers on 11 under. The top two teams in the season-long standings, the pace-setting 4Aces and no. 2 Torque, share fifth place on 10 under.

The five-way individual tie is among the most after any LIV Golf first round. Soft conditions provided opportunities for low scores, a big difference from last year’s firm test won by Ripper GC captain Cameron Smith, who shot 69 on Friday.

Smith has been on a break since winning in Bedminster last month which was his second individual win in three LIV starts. “Guess a little bit of rust in the game,” Smith said. “I’ll spend some time on the range and sort myself out.”

If Smith wins this week and closest pursuer Talor Gooch finishes fourth or lower, Smith could clinch the season-long title with one event still left in the regular season at Jeddah. Smith is currently 21 points ahead of Gooch, who was tied for 16th on Friday with a 68.

“With the conditions, the course is quite gettable,” Garcia said. “I'm actually surprised there wasn't a couple lower scores today. I could have shot one of those, obviously.

“It still is the kind of course that you still have to hit the ball well to score. It's a good mix, but if you strike the ball nicely, it feels like you can make a lot of birdies.”

Morgan made seven birdies on Friday, tied for the most in the field. Similar success this weekend could lead to a significant moment in his young career. “Playing well is motivating me more than getting out of that position,” Morgan said. “Winning the tournament is more motivating than getting out of the bottom four. That's what I want to do.”

Added team skipper Smith: “I’m very proud of him; he’s a great player. This is what he should be doing every day.”

Meanwhile, for the second time this season, a stadium-type par-3 party hole, was in place at the 160-yard 17th at Rich Harvest Farms providing fans with a festive atmosphere, similar to the Watering Hole that was such a hit at LIV Golf Adelaide.

“I thought it was another cool experience,” said Garcia. “The people were having a lot of fun, but at the same time they were quite respectful, so it was nice to see.”

Just eight birdies were recorded at the 17th on Friday against six bogeys for a stroke average of 2.958, making it the sixth most difficult hole in the first round.

Day 1 team scores

1. Stinger GC (-13): Louis Oosthuizen 66, Charl Schwartzel 67, Dean Burmester 67

T2. Fireballs GC (-12): Sergio Garcia 66, Carlos Ortiz 67, Eugenio Chacarra 68

T2. Crushers GC (-12): Anirban Lahiri 66, Charles Howell III 67, Bryson DeChambeau 68

4. Ripper GC (-11): Jediah Morgan 66, Marc Leishman 67, Cameron Smith 69

T5. 4 Aces GC (-10): Patrick Reed 67, Peter Uihlein 68, Dustin Johnson 68

T5. Torque GC (-10): Sebastián Muñoz 66, Joaquin Niemann 67, David Puig 70

T5. Smashers GC (-10): Jason Kokrak 67, Brooks Koepka 68, Matthew Wolff 68

8. RangeGoats GC (-9): Thomas Pieters 67, Talor Gooch 68, Bubba Watson 69

9. Majesticks GC (-6): Sam Horsfield 69, Ian Poulter 69, Lee Westwood 69

10. Iron Heads GC (-3): Scott Vincent 67, Kevin Na 70, Danny Lee 73

11. Hyflyers GC (-2): Cameron Tringale 68, Brendan Steele 69, James Piot 74

12. Cleeks GC (-1): Graeme McDowell 70, Richard Bland 71, Bernd Wiesberger 71