Sebastian Munoz fires 62 to take lead at LIV Golf Orlando

3/31/2023 6:49:33 PM EST

Sebastian Munoz of Colombia eagled his starting hole en route to firing a 9-under-par 62 to grab a two-stroke lead after one round at LIV Golf Orlando on Friday in Winter Garden, Fla.

Munoz is ahead of Richard Bland of England, who shot a 7-under 64 for second. Munoz also has his team, Torque, in second place through Day 1, one shot behind Brooks Koepka's Smash.

Munoz began his round on the par-5 14th hole at Orange County National. He drove the green in two and made a slightly downhill putt for eagle. He added five birdies along the way to reach 7 under through nine holes.

The 30-year-old's only bogey came at the par-4 seventh. However, he birdied the final two holes of his round, the par-4 12th and par-3 13th, to wrap up his stellar round.

"Started with an eagle on 14, kind of got things going. Then felt really in control of my driver, irons, putting," said Munoz, whose 62 tied the LIV single-round record. "I felt like everything felt kind of easy today, like one of those days that things kind of go, and really comfortable and happy the way I played."

Bland had a polar opposite start compared to Munoz, a double bogey at the par-3 15th. He made up for it with eight birdies, and after a bogey at No. 13, he eagled the gettable 14th as well.

Koepka is tied for third with New Zealand's Danny Lee at 6-under 65. Harold Varner III and Englishman Lee Westwood are tied for fifth at 5-uder 66, and Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Sweden's Henrik Stenson are part of a large tie at 4-under 67.

Koepka, his brother Chase Koepka and Matthew Wolff combined to go 14 under in the first round to give Smash a one-shot lead over Torque. Munoz and Chileans Mito Pereira and Joaquin Niemann combined to go 13 under.

It's a promising start for Brooks Koepka's team after the squad wasn't able to collect standings points in the first two tournaments.

"I had to look at myself and do the same thing. I told them they've all got to start playing better," Brooks Koepka said. "Wolffy has been playing fine. But they know they need to play better. I don't need to harp on them too much. It's not the end of the world, it's just two events."

In third place at 11 under was Majesticks with Westwood, Stenson and England's Ian Poulter contributing their rounds to the team score.

This is the third event of the Saudi-funded golf league's second campaign, and the final event before golf begins its major season next week at the Masters. There will be 18 LIV members in the field at Augusta, Ga.

--Field Level Media

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