Day one of the LIV Golf Andalucia was a windy affair around Real Club Valderrama and that would manifest on the leaderboard. There were struggles in the gusting Spanish countryside with just seven players managing to break par. Graeme McDowell was one of those wrestling with the conditions on his first round, with a +4, 75 leaving the 2010 US Open champion in the middle order heading into day two.
A clean round was called for to mitigate the gusting wind that was affecting the pack and up stepped Dean Burmester to provide. Just a solitary bogey in the round of the day for the Stingers GC player, who sits in solo overnight lead after his five under. A birdie-birdie finish on the fourth and the par-5 fifth saw the South African leapfrog Danny Lee to lead by one.
Overnight leader, Burmester was clearly delighted with his day and spoke after his finish to reflect: “To be honest I don’t know myself. Valderrama is someplace, I mean, even in the best of conditions, it’s tough, and yeah, 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 could I make it. You don’t get days like that too often but certainly I don’t,” he said. “Yeah, I managed to hit a lot of good shots as well. It was a special day and to be playing with Branden and Charl and to enjoy that with them was super cool.”
Asked about how tough the conditions were in the breeze today: “Yeah, look, the wind obviously played its part,” he said. “It was gusting up to 30-plus kilometres I think today. It kind of moved enough for it to be tough and then that dried the greens out, three holes in, the greens were rock hard. 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.”
The Spanish contingent lurk with intent on their home turf with Eugenio Chacarra and his Fireballs GC team captain sitting third and fourth after three-under and two-under rounds respectively. Burmester has his Stinger GC captain backing him up on -1 to see them top the team standings on a combined four-under ahead of Garcia’s Fireballs by two strokes after the first round.
Sergio was on hand after his day to praise the level of play in the wind on day one: “Well, 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,” the ever-bullish Spaniard remarked. “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. So, it’s pretty impressive.”
McDowell and his Smash GC team had a tough day at the office, a double on the par-5 fourth would add to McDowell’s woes to see him finish four-over, tied with his Captain Brooks Koepka. Teammates Gooch and Kokrak sit one and two further back as Smash sit tied 11th with a combined +13.
Second place Danny Lee (-4) too had the support of his Iron Heads team, Scott Vincent and captain Kevin Na minimised any damage to come in within a couple of par means they sit third in the team standings overnight. With big names under pressure heading into Friday’s action there is plenty of jeopardy to come over the final two days in Andalucia. Joaquin Niemann, LIV Golf League’s OOM leader sits tied with Bryson DeChambeau on three-over while second placed Jon Rahm sits one stroke ahead.
