LIV GOLF SINGAPORE: MUÑOZ LEADS BY 1; FIREBALLS, SMASH SHARE TEAM LEAD
SINGAPORE – After suffering a “little low point” a week ago in Australia, Torque GC’s Sebastián Muñoz produced his best round of the 2024 season on Friday to take the first-round lead at LIV Golf Singapore.
Muñoz’s 6-under 65 at Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong course gives him a one-shot advantage over a group of six players – Smash GC Captain Brooks Koepka, Cleeks GC Captain Martin Kaymer, Iron Heads GC Captain Kevin Na, RangeGoats GC’s Thomas Pieters, HyFlyers GC’s Cameron Tringale and Fireballs GC’s Abraham Ancer.
Another eight players are two shots back, including Muñoz’s captain Joaquin Niemann, the current Individual points leader.
The team leaderboard is just as crowded. Fireballs and Smash share the lead at 11 under, with three teams just one shot back – Cleeks, RangeGoats and Stinger GC.
For Muñoz, Friday’s low round is a welcomed relief after his struggles in the first round in Adelaide. He suffered five bogeys, including three straight, in his final 10 holes to shoot a 1-over 72. It was his fourth score over par in his previous five rounds to that point.
“Kind of hit me hard,” Muñoz recalled. But his Torque teammates gathered together after the round to offer support. “We kind of had a deep talk,” he said. “… Just having good, solid teammates can help you a lot.”
Muñoz bounced back with two solids rounds to finish up in Adelaide, then fed off that momentum Friday in Singapore, setting the tone with birdies on two of his first three holes.
“Really happy where the game is right now and kind of trending,” Muñoz said.
Koepka, celebrating his 34th birthday Friday, found his putting stroke that has been mostly absent this season. He opened with five birdies in his first seven holes, and then saved par with a 12-footer after his birdie attempt had rolled off the green. A three-putt on the par-4 16th was his only blemish.
“Thought I putted OK,” Koepka said. “Speed was off, but the ones that I needed to make, I felt like I made.”
Pieters has found his form recently with a tie for ninth in Miami and a tie for 14th in Adelaide. His bogey-free 66 that included an eagle at the par-5 18th is his sixth consecutive sub-par round.
“Putting a lot of work in it over the last few months,” Pieters said. “I just had a rough time last year personally, and I finally found the time and the focus to kind of re-focus on my game. Been working on every aspect, and it’s kind of showing now.”
Ancer also continued his hot stretch that includes his first LIV Golf individual win two months ago in Hong Kong. He suffered an early bogey but then found his rhythm the rest of the way, including a stretch of three consecutive birdies to finish up his first nine holes.
After finishing 47th out of 48 players in Singapore last year, Ancer is happy with the strong start to this week.
“I was not in the same spot with my swing last year,” Ancer said. “Not playing confident at the time. Feel a lot better today. Big difference.”
Kaymer was coming off his best LIV round, an 8-under 64 on Sunday in Adelaide, and continued to show positive signs with his 66. Na, like Muñoz, played well in the last two rounds in Adelaide after a tough start and was bogey-free for his first 15 holes Friday.
TEAM COUNTING SCORES
Standings and counting scores for Friday’s opening round of the team competition at LIV Golf Singapore. The three best scores from each team count in the first two rounds while all four scores count in the final round. The team with the lowest cumulative score after three rounds wins the team title.
T1. FIREBALLS GC -11 (Ancer 66, Chacarra 67, Garcia 69)
T1. SMASH GC -11 (Koepka 66, Gooch 68, McDowell 68)
T3. RANGEGOATS GC -10 (Pieters 66, Wolff 68, Uihlein 69)
T3. CLEEKS GC -10 (Kaymer 66, Meronk 67, Bland 70)
T3. STINGER GC -10 (Burmester 67, Oosthuizen 67, Grace 69)
6. TORQUE GC -9 (Muñoz 65, Niemann 67, Ortiz 72)
T7. RIPPER GC -8 (Herbert 67, Leishman 67, Smith 71)
T7. LEGION XIII -8 (Hatton 68, Vincent 68, Rahm 69)
9. HYFLYERS GC -7 (Tringale 66, Steele 68, Mickelson 72)
10. IRON HEADS GC -5 (Na 66, Vincent 70, Lee 72)
11. 4ACES GC -4 (Johnson 67, Reed 71, Varner III 71)
T12. CRUSHERS GC -1 (Casey 69, Lahiri 70, DeChambeau 73)
T12. MAJESTICKS GC -1 (Poulter 70, Horsfield 71, Westwood 71)
ROUND 1 NOTES
DEALING WITH THE HEAT: The hot, humid weather in Singapore will definitely test – both physically and mentally – the 54 players in this week’s field.
Some players, like first-round leader Sebastián Muñoz of Torque GC, hope to use it to their advantage. He was one of the few players not to wear shorts in the first round.
“The main thing is that you’ve got to stay hydrated,” Muñoz said. “You’ve got to stay calm. Your heart kind of beats a little harder, stronger. I felt like the sweat kind of helps me, helps me hit it a little further, which kind of gives me a little boost in confidence.”
Brooks Koepka, who has won twice in the heat at LIV Golf Jeddah, finished his round, cooled off … and then went for a workout.
“You know it’s going to be hot,” the Smash GC captain said. “It’s all about your prep going into it and what you’re doing the night before. I’ve got that handled.”
BROOKS’ BIRTHDAY: Koepka turned 34 on Friday, celebrating his first birthday since becoming a father last year. His wife Jena and their son Crew are in town to help him celebrate. Nothing huge was planned.
“I’m very boring in the weeks that I play,” Koepka said. “Try to go back, try to see if I can hang out with Jena and Crew for a bit, but I’ll be kind of busy. We’re just going to go out to dinner tonight, and that’s it.”
DRIVER SWITCH FOR PIETERS: Big-hitting Belgium star Thomas Pieters recently switched his driver, and he credits the equipment change for his improved play.
“I was struggling – I couldn’t find a driver that had enough spin for me,” Pieters said. “Might sound weird. My misses are better, so they kind of hug the right side of the fairway or kind of find the rough, whereas I would just lose balls before, and that’s not ideal.”
RIPPERS A WEEK LATER: After an emotional win in LIV Golf’s first team playoff in front of their home fans in Australia, Ripper GC appeared to be avoiding the hangover Friday … until some late miscues.
Marc Leishman was tied for first on the individual leaderboard with one hole left before suffering a double bogey that resulted in a 4-under 67, leaving him tied for eighth.
Captain Cameron Smith was one under on his round before a bogey on his next-to-last hole.
The team’s newest member, Lucas Herbert, matched Leishman’s 67 in a rollercoaster round that included seven birdies and three bogeys.
Matt Jones’ 74, which included two double bogeys, did not count for the team.
The Rippers are tied for seventh, just three strokes behind the leaders.
RARE OFF-DAY FOR CRUSHERS: The current team points leaders, Crushers GC, finished the first round tied for last place with Majesticks GC with a counting score of 1 over.
Paul Casey had the team’s best score with a 2-under 69, and Anirban Lahiri also broke par with a 70. But captain Bryson DeChambeau shot a 2-over 73 – the highest counting score by any player on Friday – and Charles Howell III shot a non-counting score of 76.
Both DeChambeau and Howell immediately went to the practice green after their rounds.
ROUND 1 STATS LEADERS
Driving accuracy: Louis Oosthuizen, 92.86.% (13 of 14 fairways hit)
Driving distance: Joaquin Niemann, 330.4 yards avg.
Longest drive: Joaquin Niemann, 345.4 yards, 5th hole
Greens in regulation: Abraham Ancer, Dustin Johnson, Joaquin Niemann, Matthew Wolff, 88.89% (16 of 18 greens)
Scrambling: Graeme McDowell (6 of 6), Jon Rahm (6 of 6), Scott Vincent (6 of 6), Paul Casey (4 of 4), Brooks Koepka (4 of 4), Thomas Pieters (3 of 3), Adrian Meronk (3 of 3), Matthew Wolff (2 of 2), 100%
Putting: Marc Leishman, 1.33 putts per hole
Bogey-free rounds: Thomas Pieters (66), Adrian Meronk (67), Graeme McDowell (68), Scott Vincent (70)
*Credit Information www.Livgolf.com & Written by LIV GOLF STAFF
