Robert TheodorsonJoaquin Niemann and Jon Rahm were presented a near equal opportunity to use LIV Indianapolis to determine the season-long 2025 individual champion of the LIV Golf League.
One man took advantage of that opportunity.
Playing on the featured group, Joaquin Niemann made every shot he needed to and sunk every putt he could, the result was a score of 64 shooting 7-under par and placing Niemann in T3 position to go into the weekend.
For Niemann, a second-place overall finish at the end of Sunday would do just fine as it would make him the winner of the 2025 season.
Jon Rahm’s issues with opening rounds continued. Despite scoring a 67 and finishing T12; 4-under par, it was necessary for the Legion XIII captain to not only keep pace with Niemann, but be the best golfer in the field.
All is not lost however as Rahm has shown a propensity throughout the LIV and major championship season to turn it on after the opening round.
Setting aside the season championship and considering the champion of LIV Indianapolis, Sebastian Munoz put himself in great position to make a run for his 1st win of his LIV Golf career.
Munoz’s amazing 59 marks the third time a member of the LIV field has broken 60 since the league’s inception. First was Bryson DeChambeau’s 58 at Greenbrier, and more recently his captain, Joaco Niemann’s 59 from the 2024 season. Amazingly, Munoz accomplished the rare feat with a double bogey on the Par 4 5th.
Munoz’s efforts, along with those of his captain, have Torque squarely in 1st place on the team front with a total score of 23-under par, four strokes better than Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces.
In relegation news, wildcard golfer Anthony Kim did himself no favours with a T48 finish. Currently in 55th place among all golfers, it looks like Kim and new Cleeks’ addition Frederik Kjettrup (54; 8-over par) will be relegated out of the league.
The Majesticks trio of Ian Poulter (T24; 3-under par), Henrik Stenson (T9; 5-under par), and Lee Westwood (T38; 1-under par) appear to be battling each other to stay in The Open Zone.
Each a co-captain of their team, it will be interesting to see if LIV follows through with the dismissal of one of (or several) of their captains as Bubba Watson who was relegated out of the league last season was brought back for “business reasons”.
Of the three, Poulter is in the most danger, currently 52nd in the season-long individual standings while his colleagues Stenson and Westwood are inside The Open Zone, though with no breathing room whatsoever.
