South Africa’s Dean Burmester leads by one stroke after Friday’s opening round of the LIV Golf Andalucia event in Sotogrande, Spain.
Burmester had six birdies and carded a 5-under 66 in windy conditions at Real Club Valderrama.
Australian Danny Lee is one shot behind and Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra is in solo third place at 3-under.
Only seven of the 54 golfers finished under par. Defending champion Talor Gooch is 10 shots off the pace after a 76.
“Valderrama is someplace, I mean, even in the best of conditions it’s tough,” Burmester said. “It was probably one of the best putting rounds I’ve ever had as a professional. Just every time I stood over a putt, I just felt like I could make it. You don’t get days like that too often … I certainly don’t.”
Burmester, 35, who claimed his first LIV individual title at Miami in April, made his lone bogey at the par-4 14th hole.
“The wind obviously played its part. It was gusting up to 30-plus kilometers I think today,” Burmester said. “… It was like playing in a U.S. Open. It was tough and fast and yeah, like I said, I don’t know how I shot 5-under, to be honest with you.”
Lee also collected six birdies but gave shots back with bogeys at the par-3 third hole and par-4 16th.
“It was a little different than Monday through Thursday practice rounds,” Lee said. “Greens got way firmer. Some of the downhill putts with the downwind, it was hard to hit. But I want to say I wasn’t playing like perfect golf. I was out of position a couple times. Whenever I did that, I grinded it out for really good pars and it was good, the whole round.”
Burmester’s Stinger GC leads the team competition at 4-under, two strokes ahead of Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs GC.
Garcia, one of the home-country favorites this weekend, shot a 2-under 69 and is tied for fourth with Anirban Lahiri of India.
“First thing I’m going to say is that whoever thinks there’s no level-up here, there’s no competition, they better check it out,” Garcia said. “Because for eight guys or nine guys to shoot under par here today in these conditions on this golf course — I mean, I thought 2-under would probably be around the lead and I’m three shots behind.”
Fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm, still seeking his first LIV individual title, is in a group of eight players tied for 16th at 2-over.
–Field Level Media
