Ordinarily, it’s the individual competition that grabs the headlines at a LIV Golf event. But Thursday at LIV Golf South Africa, it was all about the teams in the debut tournament on the continent.
Southern Guards GC, a team of four South Africans, fed off the home crowd to take the first-round lead at The Club at Steyn City near Johannesburg. Branden Grace led the group with a 7-under 64, and Charl Schwartzel carded a 66.
“I think that was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had on a golf course,” Schwartzel said. “I’ve played Presidents Cups, I’ve teed off in front of presidents in New York, and that first tee gave me goosebumps. I almost had tears in my eyes. It was a really proud moment.”
Grace agreed.
“It’s amazing,” Grace said about playing a LIV Golf event in his country. “This is what we hoped for. They’re coming out in the numbers. They’re coming out to support the event. I feel South Africa has been hungry for a big golf event like this and this experience.”
The experience also was a good one for Bryson DeChambeau and Charles Howell II, a pair of Americans who each finished the day with 8-under rounds of 63 to top the individual leaderboard. DeChambeau recorded nine birdies and a bogey, while Howell posted a bogey-free round.
The Crushers teammates put their team in third, two strokes behind Southern Guards and one behind Smash GC. DeChambeau is coming off a win last week at LIV Golf Singapore.
“I’m playing really good,” DeChambeau said. “My driver just got a little quirky today. I still feel like I’m playing really good, swinging it well. Just going to go tighten it up a little bit. But yeah, for the most part I feel really comfortable with my game.”
DeChambeau and Howell finished the first round one stroke ahead of Grace and Sergio Garcia of Spain, who also went bogey-free on his way to a 64.
Tied for fifth place after their rounds of 65s were Smash captain Talor Gooch and Jon Rahm of Spain.
Ten players shot 66 to stand three shots behind the co-leaders and tied for seventh place.
Dean Burmester was in the group tied for 17th after rounds of 67, but by the way he was talking after the round, his score really didn’t matter. He was thrilled to have played in his home country.
“It’s probably the pinnacle of my career, honestly,” Burmester said. “This is probably the greatest day I’ve had on the golf course, the most fun, the most backing I’ve ever had. I’ve played all over the world and I’ve never felt this kind of emotion and this electricity. Obviously, they’re backing the Southern Guards boys, and all four of us I’m sure were getting shouted for all over the golf course. That lifted us up.”
“Yes, it was emotional. It was amazing,” he continued. “That’s about all I can say about it.”
–Field Level Media
