LIV Golf in Bangkok leaderboard: Former amateur star Eugenio Chacarra tied for lead after Round 1

While many on the East Coast of the United States had been quick asleep, LIV Golf kicked off its sixth occasion of its inaugural season. The LIV Golf occasion in Bangkok began swimmingly at Stonehill Golf Course as bombers and plodders alike successfully maneuvered across the comparatively model new golf course constructed by Thai billionaire Sarath Ratanavadi.

Showcasing the depth of the sector and wide selection of age — one thing LIV was closely criticized for at first — the youngest and one of many eldest members of the circuit discover their names on the high of the leaderboard. It seems Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra has lastly hit his stride as knowledgeable after a bogey-free 7-under 65 in the primary spherical in Bangkok.

The former No. 2 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, Chacarra represents the kind of golfer LIV Golf hopes to draw transferring ahead. Young, energetic, and related by way of earlier amateur and collegiate play, the 22-year-old shares the lead with English journeyman Richard Bland and LIV Portland winner Branden Grace.

LIV CEO Greg Norman and Co. might secretly be hoping for a Chacarra triumph, but it surely won’t come with out some stress. Four-time main championship winner Brooks Koepka just isn’t far off the tempo after a 5-under 67 — a welcomed sight for Smash GC followers. Koepka has struggled in his 4 prior LIV appearances and has but to crack the highest 10.

While Koepka hopes to interrupt this dry spell, the present season-long factors chief Dustin Johnson may have some work to do over the subsequent 36 holes in order to maintain his streak alive. The LIV Boston winner and captain of the 4 Aces is an ideal 5-for-5 ending inside the highest 10 and finds himself in a tie for twenty first after signing for a 2-under 70. 

Johnson and the remainder of his 4 Aces squad are in unfamiliar territory in addition to they sit tenth in the workforce competitors. Arriving in Bangkok off 4 straight victories, they might want to monitor down Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs if the dynasty is to remain afloat.

The leaders

T1. Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra, Richard Bland, Branden Grace (-7)

It is straightforward to neglect how younger some skilled golfers are in this point in time as they burst onto the scene earlier and earlier every year. Chacarra isn’t any completely different after experiencing a powerful amateur and collegiate profession at Oklahoma State. Joining LIV Golf in Portland, the Spaniard’s workforce claimed a spot on the rostrum in dramatic trend because of a 54th-hole birdie from Carlos Ortiz. 

While there was pleasure and jubilation from the workforce’s perspective, individually, Chacarra has struggled. Capturing a T21 outcome in Chicago — his greatest outcome up to now — maybe Chacarra is lastly starting to settle his nerves and play in the identical method which he did in his amateur days.

“I’ve been struggling the first four weeks, just turned pro and nervous and all these guys, how good they are, and just trying to learn every week. I feel my game is getting better every week, and today I thought about what I was doing in college the last couple years when I had all the success, and I was just trying to play to not make bogeys,” stated Chacarra. “I cannot play with that stride today, and it definitely worked; I didn’t make any bogeys. But like I say, these guys are really, really good. I’m trying to learn every week, so happy with my result, but still a long way to go.”

Other contenders

T4. Marc Leishman, Ian Poulter (-6)

T6. Sihwan Kim, Jediah Morgan, Brooks Koepka, Harold Varner III, Kevin Na (-5)

T11. Graeme McDowell, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia (-4)

The three betting favorites are nowhere to be discovered in the highest 20 of the leaderboard, giving technique to a possible shock winner in Bangkok. Johnson, Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann all struggled in the primary spherical and are unlikely to noticeably threaten with no huge effort on Day 2.

Poulter is a stunning title to seek out just one stroke off the lead. The Englishman just isn’t essentially the longest participant in the world, and he has not performed his greatest golf in current months. His final top-10 end got here in January on the DP World Tour, however he might have discovered one thing in Bangkok and is a participant to control over the ultimate 36 holes.

The elephant in the room

The Official World Golf Rankings are on the minds of gamers because the ruling committee critiques the deserves of LIV Golf Bangkok from a world rating factors perspective. Whether it decides to award factors retroactively by way of the MENA Tour stays to be seen, however that didn’t cease some gamers from letting their opinions identified.

“They’re delaying the inevitable,” stated Bryson DeChambeau. “We’ve hit each mark in their standards, so for us to not get factors is sort of loopy with having the highest — at the very least I imagine we have now the highest gamers in the world.

“When they keep holding it back, they’re going to just keep playing a waiting game where we’re going to keep dropping down in the rankings to where our points won’t ever matter,” DeChambeau continued. “That’s what they’re trying to accomplish, and I hope that people can see right through that rather than believe the lies that they’ve been told. From my perspective, I think we deserve points.”

Team leaderboard