Bryson DeChambeau opened with an 8-under-par 63 to take a one-shot lead over fellow major champions Cameron Smith and Jon Rahm at LIV Golf Mexico City on Friday.
DeChambeau eagled his first hole of the day, the short par-4 second at Club De Golf Chapultepec, and was 4 under through three. He carded just one bogey before finishing birdie-birdie-par-birdie.
In the thin air of Mexico City, DeChambeau averaged 370 yards per drive with three 400-yard drives, per a reporter.
“Yeah, 370 is about right,” DeChambeau said. “I was flying it that far on the driving range. I’m like, ‘OK, I think that’s going to be my average,’ and if the fairways get firm, it could be more. It could be a lot more.”
The team DeChambeau captains, Crushers GC, posted a collective score of 15 under to tie for first with Smith’s all-Australian Ripper GC.
Smith paired nine birdies with two bogeys.
“Just kind of getting out of my own way today was really important and just trusting it,” Smith said. “It’s a tough golf course, especially to get it in the fairway, which is something that I’ve been struggling with. I decided to just kind of let it go and get out of my own way.”
As for Rahm, the Spaniard is third in the points standings so far this season but is still searching for his first win since September at LIV Golf Chicago.
He had the same total as Smith — nine birdies, two bogeys — which included a near-ace at his finishing hole, the par-3 18th. His ball skirted right past the cup and he made a short birdie putt.
Rahm was also pleased with his start of three birdies in a row.
“What better way to start it than with three birdies in a row,” Rahm said. “That just set the tone, and felt really comfortable on the greens all day. Couldn’t really have asked for a much better score.”
Bubba Watson is alone in fourth at 5-under 66. England’s Tyrrell Hatton is fifth at 4-under 67.
Bryson DeChambeau bombs his way to lead at LIV Golf Mexico City
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Bryson DeChambeau bombs his way to lead at LIV Golf Mexico City
- In the thin air of Mexico City, DeChambeau averaged 370 yards per drive with three 400-yard drives
- His team Crushers GC posted a collective score of 15 under to tie for first with Smith’s all-Australian Ripper GC
Aldrich Potgieter, 20, wins Rocket Classic in five-hole playoff
- Potgieter drained an 18-foot birdie putt on the fifth playoff hole to secure his first PGA Tour victory by winning the Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club
- The trio of Potgieter, Greyserman and Kirk finished 72 holes at 22-under-par 266
DETROIT: As a grueling playoff unfolded in the Rocket Classic, South Africa’s Aldrich Potgieter was determined to have enough pace on what became the final putt Sunday.
Potgieter drained an 18-foot birdie putt on the fifth playoff hole to secure his first PGA Tour victory by winning the Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club.
“Struggled to make putts. Left a lot short,” Potgieter said. “Finally got one to the hole.”
Potgieter outlasted Max Greyserman in an extended playoff that began with three golfers. Chris Kirk’s bogey on the second playoff hole cost him a chance and reduced the playoff to two golfers.
Potgieter, a big-hitting 20-year-old, began the tournament with a 62 on Thursday and ended up with the biggest prize. He is the youngest South African to win on tour.
“Big thanks to my family, friends, coaches, everyone who has been involved to kind of get me to this point,” Potgieter said.
The trio of Potgieter, Greyserman and Kirk finished 72 holes at 22-under-par 266.
“This one is going to sting a little bit,” Greyserman said.
Potgieter, who became the seventh-youngest PGA Tour winner since 1983, and Greyserman both had birdies on the par-5 14th hole — the fourth stop in the playoff — before Potgieter sank the winning putt on the par-3 15th hole.
Kirk and Greyserman shot final-round 5-under-par 67s and Potgieter, who was the first- and third-round leader, had 69.
Kirk had the best chance on the first playoff hole, but he was off the mark on a birdie putt of slightly more than 9 feet.
“It’s a shame that first playoff hole,” Kirk said. “Hit just three perfect shots and I misread that putt a little bit. That’s the way it goes sometimes.”
Greyserman missed from 11 feet on the second extra hole before Kirk was eliminated with a three-putt bogey moments later.
“Just really disappointed right now,” Kirk said. “Felt like I played great today. I’m happy with the way I played.”
Greyserman, ranked 48th in the world entering this week, remains without a PGA Tour victory. He has four runner-up finishes.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t get the job done,” Greyserman said. “Thought I hit a lot of good shots down the stretch. Very pleased with how I handled myself down the stretch.”
It was a bogey-free round for Greyserman, who missed a birdie putt from just inside 12 feet on the final hole that would have given him the victory. He made birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 to rise into a share of the lead.
Except for a birdie on No. 17, Kirk posted par on seven of his last eight holes in regulation.
It was a crowded leaderboard for the entire day.
Michael Thorbjornsen (67) and Jake Knapp (68) shared fourth place at 21 under. Jackson Suber (68) and Colombia’s Nico Echavarria (66) tied for sixth at 20 under.
By late afternoon, there were 26 golfers within three shots of the lead. After Potgieter and Greyserman made the turn as the final pairing, there were several fewer so close to the top, but still more than a dozen — with more than half of those golfers still on the course.
Echavarria played the final seven holes in 4 under to match his first-round 66.
Harry Higgs and Akshay Bhatia had 65s for the best scores of the last round, finishing at 16 under and 15 under, respectively.
Reed wins four-man playoff to capture first LIV Golf title
- “The biggest thing with relief is to finally win in my home state,” said Reed, who lives near Houston
WASHINGTON: Patrick Reed birdied the first extra hole to win a four-man playoff on Sunday and capture LIV Golf Dallas for his first victory in 41 starts in the Saudi-backed series.
Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, led by as many as five strokes early in the final round, squandered his advantage, then won on only the third birdie of the day at the 18th hole at Maridoe Golf Club.
“The biggest thing with relief is to finally win in my home state,” said Reed, who lives near Houston. “To finally get that done meant a lot. To get my first win here as part of LIV means so much to me.”
The 34-year-old American won last November’s Hong Kong Open on the Asian Tour for his first title since a 2021 PGA victory at Torrey Pines.
Reed, England’s Paul Casey, South African Louis Oosthuizen and Japan’s Jinichiro Kozuma shared the lead after the regulation 54 holes on six-under 282.
Reed opened with a birdie at the first hole, jumped ahead by five after double bogeys by his top rivals, but had five bogeys on the front nine before parring his way through the back nine proved good enough to make a playoff.
“I tried to mess it up,” Reed said. “After making birdie on the first I seemed to leave every putt short. Just kind of putting pretty tentative.”
He missed a birdie putt at 18 in regulation to ensure a playoff.
“Had a good putt there to win on the final hole of regulation, hit a good putt and it doesn’t go in there. Leave it short,” Reed said. “So when I had that down there (to win in the playoff) I thought I left it short too but making a birdie at the last always helps.”
Reed composed himself at the turn after losing the lead to his woeful front side.
“I told myself the putts have to start falling. For the most part I thought I hit the ball fine. I had just a lot of missed putts,” he said.
Kozuma missed a chance for his first victory outside his homeland.
Sharing fifth on 283 were Americans Charles Howell and Harold Varner, England’s Tyrrell Hatton and Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin.
Spain’s Sergio Garcia qualified for the British Open, taking the spot available to a top-five LIV season player not already in the field for next month’s major showdown at Portrush.
The Crushers, featuring Casey and two-time US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau, won the team title.
Arab Golf Federation wraps up inaugural Elite Scholarship Camp in Riyadh
- Targeting under-18 boys and girls, the program forms part of the federation’s broader effort to create a sustainable pipeline of Arab golfers capable of competing on the global stage
RIYADH: The Arab Golf Federation concluded the first-ever edition of its Elite Sports Scholarship Program Camp on Sunday.
The event brought together 16 promising young golfers from across the region for an intensive four-day development experience at Riyadh Golf Club.
The camp, held in partnership with IMG Academy, marked the launch of one of the AGF’s flagship long-term initiatives aimed at producing a new generation of Arab golfing talent by 2035.
Targeting under-18 boys and girls, the program forms part of the federation’s broader effort to create a sustainable pipeline of Arab golfers capable of competing on the global stage.
Over the course of the week, participants underwent technical, physical and psychological assessments, including high-performance testing using TrackMan technology, as well as on-course and indoor training.
To simulate competitive pressure, players took part in two 18-hole championship rounds, with final-day winners crowned and scholarship recipients selected.
Those chosen will begin receiving full support from August, including elite coaching, academic tutoring, strength and conditioning, and mental performance services.
Speaking at the camp, IMG Academy Executive Director Kevin Craggs delivered a session titled “Mastering the Margin: Coaching for Clarity and Competitive Edge.”
Addressing families and coaches, Craggs highlighted the value of resilience, conscious leadership and athlete-centered development.
AGF President Sheikh Fahim Al-Qasimi had previously said the scholarship program represented a pivotal moment for Arab golf, positioning the region as a serious player on the global sporting map.
“By investing in the next generation of athletes, we are creating long-term opportunities for Arab players to succeed internationally,” he said ahead of the camp’s launch.
The conclusion of the Riyadh camp coincided with another major milestone for regional golf: More than 35 Arab players took part in an Asian Development Tour tournament in Morocco during the same week, highlighting the AGF’s commitment to providing real-world competitive exposure as part of its talent pipeline.
Reed, 4Aces enter final round on top of leaderboard at LIV Golf Dallas
- On a challenging Maridoe Golf Club course, Reed moved to 9 under and takes a three-shot lead after two rounds
CARROLLTON, Texas, US: Since joining LIV Golf, Patrick Reed has 11 top-5 finishes, including five podium results. He has also celebrated seven team victories with his 4Aces GC, including the inaugural 2022 Team Championship, and has twice finished inside the top six in the season-long points race.
But he has yet to win an individual LIV Golf title in his first 41 regular season starts, making him arguably the best league player without a win. And he has yet to win a professional tournament in his home state of Texas, where he was born and still lives.
Now he is 18 holes away from changing both narratives on Sunday at LIV Golf Dallas presented by Aramco.
Thanks to a solid 4-under 68 on a challenging Maridoe Golf Club course, Reed moved to 9 under and will take a 3-shot lead entering the final round. This is his first 36-hole lead since joining LIV Golf for the league’s first US event in Portland in 2022.
“To get my first LIV victory as well as doing it in my home state would mean a lot,” said the Houston resident, who was born in San Antonio. “But really, at the end of the day, instead of trying to focus on what happens on the 54th hole, it’s stay in the moment. Stay in the present.”
His 4Aces team also hope to stay in the present as they seek a first victory since the 2023 tournament in London. The club, captained by Dustin Johnson, has a four-shot lead over Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII and Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC, who have won the previous two LIV Golf team titles. No other team is within 13 shots of the lead.
Reed, meanwhile, has plenty of pursuers, many of whom — like Reed himself — are hungry to win their first individual LIV Golf title.
The Crushers’ Paul Casey shot a 5-under 67 and is tied for second at 6 under with Fireballs GC’s Abraham Ancer, who shot a second consecutive 69. In a four-way tie for fifth at 5 under are Cleeks GC’s Richard Bland, Fireballs’ David Puig, 4Aces’ Harold Varner III and Legion XIII’s Tyrrell Hatton, who produced the low round of the day with a 65. His captain Jon Rahm is alone in eighth at 4 under.
Four of the top seven players have yet to win an LIV Golf tournament — Reed, Casey, Bland and Puig. And Puig is the only player who ranks inside the top 20 in driving distance average this season. Maridoe, despite its 7,533-yard layout, is rewarding the shot-makers this week in the Texas heat.
“If you’re not in the fairway, you’re going to struggle,” Ancer said. “You’re going to make big numbers. Bogeys come really, really quickly, even if you’re in the fairway.”
Ancer should know. He had a rollercoaster round that included seven birdies — including four in a row on his first nine — along with four bogeys and one up-and-down par after an approach shot bounced off the flagstick and rolled off the green at the eighth hole. “I felt like I stayed in it mentally really well,” said the San Antonio resident.
Casey’s round had less drama and ended on a high note with three consecutive birdies. Hatton’s round, on the flip side, started with three straight birdies.
Reed also produced three consecutive birdies and was among the steadiest of performers, hitting 78 percent of his greens in regulation. His challenge on Sunday will be to stay focused on the task at hand.
“The golf game feels pretty solid,” Reed said. “Everything seems to be tight and where I want it to be. The biggest thing is going out there and not trying to press, not trying to force anything and really just go out and try to win the day as if it’s a Monday qualifier.”
And his chasers?
“Looking like the way he’s playing, he’s not going to go backwards,” Bland said. “We’ve got to go get him.”
Team scores
LIV Golf’s new scoring format this season means all four scores count in every round in the team competition. Here are the results and scores for each team after Saturday’s second round of LIV Golf Dallas presented by Aramco.
4ACES GC -12 (Reed 68, Pieters 71, Varner 72, Johnson 74; Rd. 2 score: -3) T2. LEGION XIII -8 (Hatton 65, McKibbin 71, Rahm 72, Surratt 72; Rd. 2 score: -8)
T2. CRUSHERS GC -8 (Casey 67, Howell III 71, DeChambeau 72, Lahiri 73; Rd. 2 score: -5)
T4. STINGER GC +2 (Burmester 71, Grace 71, Oosthuizen 71, Schwartzel 74; Rd. 2 score: -1)
T4. FIREBALLS GC +2 (Ancer 69, Puig 69, Garcia 74, Ballester 76; Rd. 2 score: E)
CLEEKS GC +7 (Bland 69, Rottluff 70, Meronk 72, Kaymer 74; Rd. 2 score: -3) TORQUE GC +14 (Niemann 66, Munoz 70, Ortiz 70, Pereira 79; Rd. 2 score: -3) T8. RIPPER GC +15 (Leishman 70, Herbert 71, Smith 71, Jones 75; Rd. 2 score: -1)
T8. HYFLYERS GC +15 (Steele 69, Tringale 73, Mickelson 74, Ogletree 78; Rd. 2 score: +6)
MAJESTICKS GC +16 (Horsfield 72, Stenson 73, Westwood 75, Poulter 78; Rd. 2 score: +10) RANGEGOATS GC +18 (Campbell 70, Watson 73, Uihlein 75, Schniederjans 78; Rd. 2 score: +8) T12. SMASH GC +22 (Gooch 70, Kokrak 74, McDowell 74, Carrera 77; Rd. 2 score: +7)
T12. IRON HEADS GC +22 (Kozuma 70, Lee 76, Jang 79, Na 79; Rd. 2 score: +16)
Wildcards: C. Lee 71, A. Kim 74
4Aces, inspired by Reed and Warner, top both leaderboards at LIV Golf Dallas
- Both players shot 5-under 67s at Maridoe Golf Club, emerge as co-leaders on individual leaderboard
CARROLLTON: Teammates Patrick Reed and Harold Varner III fed off each other to lead the way during Friday’s first round of LIV Golf Dallas presented by Aramco.
They will hope to do the same on Saturday.
Reed and Varner each shot 5-under 67s at Maridoe Golf Club to emerge as co-leaders on the individual leaderboard, while also helping the 4Aces to a commanding advantage in the team competition.
It was a dominating day for the 4Aces, with captain Dustin Johnson contributing a 2-under 70 that included chip-ins for a birdie and an eagle on his first two holes. It was the kind of performance reminiscent of the 4Aces’ dominance during the inaugural 2022 LIV Golf season when they won four consecutive regular-season tournaments, then claimed the season-ending Team Championship.
The 4Aces won twice in 2023 but nothing since, and their only individual win was Johnson’s victory last year. Friday’s fast start presents an opportunity to reinforce their status as one of the league’s big dogs.
At 9-under as a team, they are six shots ahead of Crushers GC, who have won the last two tournaments and have the hometown support with captain Bryson DeChambeau being a local resident. The Crushers were the only team on Friday in which all four players shot par or better.
“The biggest thing is to keep the throttle down,” said Reed, among the league’s best players without a LIV Golf win. “Even though we have a lead now, (we will) start tomorrow as if everyone is even par and try to go win the day as a team and build on the lead.”
On a course that became more difficult throughout the day, Varner had the only bogey-free round through 17 holes. Although his tee shot on his last hole, the par-4 ninth, left him with an awkward lie, he managed to find the green — but then three-putted for the only blemish on his card. Even so, it was his best round, relative to par, this season.
“I’ve been hitting it unbelievably this whole year and I just happened to make a couple of putts today,” said Varner, who has six top-20 finishes this year. “I don’t think there’s like a genie in a bottle or anything like that but I felt like I was going to play well.”
Reed’s round was highlighted by a chip-in eagle at the par-5 second, allowing him to keep up with Varner in a threesome that also included teammate from 4Aces Thomas Pieters, the team’s leading points producer this season, who shot a 3-over 75.
“Harold is out there playing some solid golf, hitting some quality golf shots,” said Reed, who has five top-three finishes in his LIV Golf career. “It’s always nice when you’re seeing that because you can feed off of it. Obviously it was a bonus chipping in there for eagle.”
Varner did not even think the eagle was his teammate’s best chip of the day. He cited Reed’s third shot at the par-5 13th from an awkward lie out of the greenside rough 30 yards from the pin.
Varner said: “He chips it, somehow shimmies it through the rough, misses the bunker and it goes to four feet — and he misses the putt. But it was the best chip, best shot I saw. It will be the best shot in all of golf on this golf course this week, without a doubt.”
The closest pursuer to the individual co-leaders is Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm, whose 4-under 68 included an eagle at the par-4 sixth. His strong iron play allowed him to overcome an off-day with his driver, as he hit just five fairways.
Fireballs GC’s Abraham Ancer is solo fourth. He had a share of the lead until a double bogey on his final hole left him shooting 69. His seven total birdies on Friday led the field.
“Definitely (it) hurts to finish the way I finished with a double bogey,” Ancer said. “(It) just felt like I just lost a little bit of concentration on that par 3. Other than that, I felt great.”
Reed, Varner and Rahm will be in the final group off the first tee on Saturday. Rahm has been the league’s most consistent player since joining LIV Golf prior to last season, but is looking to start turning his top 10s into wins. Meanwhile, Reed and Varner are hoping to turn this weekend into a 4Aces’ party.
Varner said: “The team camaraderie in the locker room, I think we’re having a lot of fun. Maybe too much fun.”
TEAM SCORES
LIV Golf’s new scoring format this season now involves all four scores counting in every round in the team competition (click here for more on the new format). Here are the results and scores for each team after Friday’s round one of LIV Golf Dallas presented by Aramco.
1. 4ACES GC -9 (Reed 67, Varner III 67, Johnson 70, Pieters 75)
2. CRUSHERS GC -3 (Lahiri 70, Casey 71, DeChambeau 72, Howell III 72)
3. LEGION XIII E (Rahm 68, McKibbin 71, Hatton 74, Surratt 75)
4. FIREBALLS GC +2 (Ancer 69, Puig 70, Garcia 75, Ballester 76)
5. STINGER GC +3 (Oosthuizen 71, Schwartzel 72, Burmester 74, Grace 74)
T6. IRON HEADS GC +6 (Kozuma 72, Jang 74, Lee 74, Na 74)
T6. MAJESTICKS GC +6 (Westwood 72, Poulter 73, Stenson 73, Horsfield 76)
8. HYFLYERS GC +9 (Tringale 72, Ogletree 73, Steele 75, Mickelson 77)
T9. RANGEGOATS GC +10 (Campbell 73, Schniederjans 74, Watson 75, Uihlein 76)
T9. CLEEKS GC +10 (Bland 70, Kaymer 73, Meronk 77, Rottluff 78)
11. SMASH GC +15 (McDowell 70, Kokrak 73, Gooch 79, Koepka/Carrera 81)
12. RIPPER GC +16 (Herbert 75, Leishman 75, Smith 75, Jones 79)
13. TORQUE GC +17 (Pereira 72, Muñoz 76, Niemann 78, Ortiz 79)
Wild Cards: Kim 75, C. Lee 80
