Tight opening day leaderboard at LIV Golf Virginia as Lahiri shows some welcome form

Anirban Lahiri turned in a resolute 4 under par 67 to hold a share of third place but his team captain Bryson DeChambeau of Crushers GC and Cleeks GC leader Martin Kaymer were in the spotlight on the opening day of LIV Golf Virginia in Gainesville on Friday.

DeChambeau and Kaymer overcame a 107-minute weather delay late in the  afternoon to jumpstart their rounds into a share of the lead at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, firing matching 5 under 66s to head the Day One standings.

DeChambeau’s first shot after play resumed was a chip-in for eagle at the par 5 14th hole followed by a birdie at the 15th and then another one for good measure on the very next hole. “You come back from a rain delay and usually think you’re going to try and slowly get into a flow,” the Crushers captain, who was 1 under and tied for 18th when play was suspended, said later. “I came out hot.”

Headed next to the US Open where he will defend his title, DeChambeau has been on a roll of late with victory at the last LIV event, in Korea, and top 10 finishes at the Masters and the PGA Championship. He wasn’t surprised at the outcome of his very first shot after play was restarted. “That little chip shot became a helluva lot easier for me,” he said of the eagle, his second of the day. 

“I was studying it(from the green side rough)  before I left. It was like, this looks perfect. Came out, still looks perfect. Hit it exactly where I wanted it to land, and it went right in the frickin’ hole.”

Kaymer was relatively low-key, but equally effective on Friday after an extended off-colour run with five of his seven starts resulting in finishes outside the top 40. But he was solid on  Friday in taking a share of the lead for the first time in any LIV Golf event since last year’s season-opener in Houston. 

“I know I’m good enough. I know I can play good golf,” said the two-time major champion, who fired three consecutive birdies twice on Friday.“I’ve proven many, many times in my career. But you need to continue hitting fairways, and that was the downside for me the past few months. I was missing so many fairways. Today, the game is there.”

In the team standings, RangeGoats GC substitute and DLF Open champion Ollie Schniederjans (67) turned in a solid display alongside his captain Bubba Watson and Pater Uihlein who contributed 68s to ensure a two-shot advantage at the end of the day over the Crushers and 4Aces GC.

Alongside Lahiri on 4 under 67 were Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm, Torque GC leader Joaquin Niemann, Phil Mickelson of HyFlyers GC, Smash GC’s Graeme McDowell, and Ripper GC’s Marc Leishman.

 

“I think I should be pleased with how comfortable and how well I played today,” said Rahm, the reigning LIV Golf individual champion, while .Mickelson shot his lowest opening round in his last 16 LIV Golf starts and continues to enjoy his best form since joining the league. “I’m having a lot of fun,” the 54-year-old said. “It’s really fun. I’m starting to play well.”

 

Mickelson credited the return of his short game as a reason for his good run. On Friday, Mickelson was four of six scrambling on the day and made some difficult up-and-downs to save par in his 67, his best opening round in more than a year.

 

“It's always been the best part of my game. It's always been the easiest part of my game. Last few years I've really struggled with it. Because I've never had to think about it or analyse it, I've been able to force myself to look at what it is I'm really doing, what am I missing?” Mickelson explained later.  

 

“I figured it out, and it feels great. … Very first hole, I hit a poor drive. I was able to get the ball in front of the green. I'm 43 yards away, and I'm able to get it down there three, four feet away, and I make par. 

“Last hole I hit a bad drive. I was able to get it up by the green in the rough and hit a great shot to tap in. Saving those shots are critical. I've been costing me strokes, I've been losing strokes lately around the green. Now I'm gaining strokes, and it feels great.”