Andy DevaneyLIV Golf New York opened with Joaquín Niemann doing something Trump National Golf Club Bedminster rarely encourages: making the place look uncomplicated.
The Chilean produced a bogey-free seven-under-par 64 on Thursday to establish a two-shot lead over Ian Poulter and Lucas Herbert, turning a demanding opening round into something approaching a personal guided tour.
Bedminster was hardly in a charitable mood. Heat added another layer of discomfort to a course already asking players to commit fully to demanding shots, yet Niemann managed both the conditions and the architecture without dropping a stroke.
It was the first time since Mayakoba in February 2024 that Niemann had held an outright first-round LIV Golf lead. That particular occasion began with a 59. A 64 around Bedminster may contain fewer fireworks, but there was plenty to admire in the control.
Niemann Takes Control With a Front-Nine 30
Niemann reached the turn in 30 and never surrendered the advantage, setting the standard while much of the field discovered that Bedminster has several ways of objecting to imprecision.
His description afterwards was telling. There was little talk of attacking flags or overpowering the golf course. Commitment was the recurring theme.
“It’s super nice to be back here at Bedminster. It’s a proper golf course. Conditions are unbelievable. It’s one of those courses that is asking you to be committed on every shot. So I did that really good today. I was able to commit on every shot, trust my swing, see my ball flight, and just try to deliver the best I can. Yeah, pretty happy how the day came out…” — Niemann, Torque GC
At seven under, he left Poulter and Herbert two behind and Thomas Pieters and Brendan Steele four adrift after their rounds of 68.
The gap is useful rather than decisive. Bedminster does not appear especially interested in allowing anyone a quiet weekend.
Poulter Finds Form — and a Pounding Headache
Poulter’s 66 extended what has become his best spell of the season.
He arrived in New York following a fourth-place finish at the U.S. Senior Open and a tie for 15th at LIV Golf UK Presented by JCB, his strongest LIV result of 2026. At Bedminster, he opened with consecutive birdies and kept his card clean, including a gritty late par save.
“It was so hot out here, it was outrageous. I’ve got a pounding headache,” Poulter said. “Hydrate, eat, do no practice, and just try to conserve some energy for the weekend.”
There are more glamorous performance strategies, admittedly, but few sound quite as sensible after several hours in punishing heat.
Poulter also pointed to several less obvious adjustments behind his improved golf.
“It was a great day. I birdied the first two holes of the day, and my game has been feeling really good for a long time. I don’t know why, but you put the work in, you get contact lenses put in, you do little tweaks and bits and pieces. It turned into a nice round of golf today.” — Poulter, Majesticks Golf Club
Contact lenses rarely make the highlights package. Five-under rounds tend to.
Lucas Herbert Keeps His Remarkable Run Going
Alongside Poulter on 66 was Lucas Herbert, whose recent scoring has acquired the faintly unreasonable quality of a man refusing to acknowledge that golf is supposed to be difficult.
Herbert arrived at Bedminster after a record-laden LIV Golf UK victory at JCB, where he won wire-to-wire at 30 under and recorded the most birdies in tournament history. He also tied a record with a 62 at the Open Championship and had already won Maaden LIV Golf Virginia 2026.
Another five-under opening round keeps him firmly in contention in New York.
Unlike Niemann, Herbert does not have room to admire the leaderboard. Two shots is barely a disagreement in a 54-hole tournament.
Torque GC Sets the Early Team Pace
Niemann’s work also put Torque GC at the top of the team standings at four under.
Carlos Ortiz and Abraham Ancer each signed for even-par 71s, while Sebastián Muñoz returned a 74. HyFlyers GC were second at two under, helped by Steele’s 68 and Scott Vincent’s 69, with Herbert’s Ripper Golf Club third at one under.
Steele, meanwhile, offered an insight into one of the less quantifiable attractions of the LIV Golf format: travelling, practising and competing as part of a regular unit rather than operating entirely alone.
“It’s just more fun. It’s more fun to try to do that together, to try to accomplish something together, and have guys to play practice rounds with and lean on and travel with. Cameron lives close to me in California, so we practice a ton at home. There’s just a ton of stuff I really enjoy about it.” — Steele, HyFlyers GC on the LIV Golf experience
LIV Golf New York Round Two Starts Earlier
Friday’s second-round shotgun start has been moved to 10:05 a.m., giving Poulter, Herbert and the rest of the chasing pack their next opportunity to disturb Niemann’s comfortable position.
Tickets remain available for LIV Golf New York, which runs from August 6–9, including Grounds Passes, group tickets and premium hospitality.
Children aged 12 and under can receive a complimentary Grounds Pass at the gate when accompanied by an adult holding a ticket for that day, while military members are eligible for complimentary Grounds Pass admission throughout the event.
College and university students, teachers and first responders can receive 25 per cent off eligible single-day Grounds Passes with valid identification.
The more immediate attraction, though, sits at the top of the leaderboard.
Niemann has already established himself as LIV Golf’s all-time wins leader. On Thursday he looked less like a player protecting that status than one intent on adding to it.
Bedminster had asked the field a difficult question. Niemann answered it without a bogey.
