Robert TheodorsonLIV Golf UK has an emphatic opening-round leader after Lucas Herbert tore around JCB Golf and Country Club in a bogey-free 11-under 61, breaking the course record and opening a three-shot advantage over Bryson DeChambeau.
DeChambeau played the sort of round that usually earns a golfer the evening headlines. His eight-under 64 was polished, powerful and largely free of mishap. Unfortunately for him, Herbert had already treated par as a polite suggestion.
Who leads LIV Golf UK after round one?
Lucas Herbert leads LIV Golf UK by three shots after carding an 11-under 61 at JCB Golf and Country Club. The Ripper GC player made five birdies on the front nine and played the back nine in six under, while Bryson DeChambeau moved into second place with an eight-under 64.
Herbert’s score lowered the course record of 62, established when the layout also played to a par of 72. It was also his lowest round relative to par in LIV Golf competition.
The Australian reached the turn in 31 before accelerating rather than protecting his score. By the time he arrived at the 17th, a round of 59 had entered the conversation — never a particularly relaxing guest.
His birdie attempt stayed out, ending the possibility of reaching the final hole needing one more birdie for golf’s most celebrated sub-60 score.
“Of course it was” on his mind, Herbert admitted.
“You could see in my reaction there on 17, when that didn’t go in, I was like, that was my chance. But if you were going to pick days you were going to shoot 59, I wouldn’t have thought today would have been the day. The golf course is a little firm, which makes it play a little tougher and a bit of breeze out there that kind of moved around. I’m pretty incredibly happy with 61 still.”
That final sentence may qualify as understatement. An 11-under card without a bogey is not the sort of consolation prize that requires much counselling.
Herbert carries his Open momentum into JCB
The 61 continued a formidable run for Herbert, who arrived at LIV Golf UK after winning in Virginia and contending at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
His opening round at JCB suggested that the confidence gained during that spell has survived the journey.
“It’s definitely nice to start that way. … just continuing on that fun momentum from last week at The Open. It’s nice when those putts roll in and golf feels the way it does right now.”
Momentum in golf is an unreliable animal. It tends to disappear without leaving a forwarding address. Herbert, however, appears to have it securely tethered.
“I think once you’ve been there and done that a little bit, you have the confidence that you know you can do it,” he said. “I feel like I’m getting a new taste for being out there at the top of the leaderboard.”
His driving contributed heavily to the round. Herbert led the supplied cumulative driving-distance statistics with an average of 320.9 yards, although raw power alone does not explain a clean card containing 11 birdies and no dropped shots.
The more significant feature was control. Herbert handled firmer conditions and a shifting breeze while continuing to attack, rather than retreating into the defensive golf that can creep in once a record round begins to take shape.
DeChambeau’s 64 earns second place
DeChambeau made the turn in five-under 31, matching Herbert’s outward total, after producing an eagle at the par-five fourth.
The Crushers GC captain added three more shots on the back nine, although a bogey at the 16th briefly interrupted his charge. His 64 left him alone in second place and in the final leading group for Round 2.
“Shooting 8-under out here is no easy task. Shooting 11-under is a crazy task. It’s really cool to see Lucas doing that.”
It was a generous assessment from a player who had just completed one of the best rounds in the field. DeChambeau also praised the presentation of the Staffordshire course.
“It’s fun to play a golf course that’s taken that well care of. It’s hats off to the JCB team and all of them for working as hard as they have because they have a great track and venue out here.”
Harold Varner III and Tyrrell Hatton shared third place at six under after rounds of 66. Ben An and Richard T Lee were another shot back on five under.
Hatton’s start gave the home support an immediate contender, while Ian Poulter also placed himself inside the top 10 with a four-under 68.
LIV Golf UK round-one leaderboard
Caleb Surratt’s 68 was supported by some of the strongest ball-striking figures of the day. He hit 12 of 14 fairways for 85.71 per cent accuracy and found 17 of 18 greens in regulation.
Cameron Smith, Peter Uihlein and Thomas Detry opened with three-under 69s. David Puig recorded the longest supplied drive of the round at 339.8 yards.
Ripper GC takes control of the team standings
Herbert’s 61 also propelled Ripper GC to the top of the team leaderboard at 19 under.
Marc Leishman contributed a 68, Cameron Smith signed for 69 and Travis Smyth returned a 71. That collective effort gave Ripper GC a four-shot lead over Crushers GC.
DeChambeau’s 64 was supported by rounds of 68 from Charles Howell III and Anirban Lahiri. Paul Casey added a 73 as Crushers finished the opening day at 15 under.
OKGC and Legion XIII shared third place at eight under, with Varner leading the former and Hatton combining with Surratt’s 68 for the latter.
Poulter leads the Majesticks challenge
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Poulter produced the strongest round among the Majesticks GC players, posting a four-under 68 to remain within sight of the leading group.
Lee Westwood followed with a one-under 71, while Laurie Canter and Sam Horsfield both returned one-over 73s as the afternoon breeze made scoring less accommodating.
Majesticks ended the round tied for sixth at three under. There is considerable ground to recover, although three rounds offer enough time for a leaderboard to acquire an entirely different complexion.
When does LIV Golf UK Round 2 begin?
The second round is scheduled to begin at 1.15 pm BST on Friday 24 July.
Richard T Lee, Ben An and Tyrrell Hatton are listed in the first group from the opening hole at 1.15 pm. Herbert will then play alongside DeChambeau and Varner at 1.26 pm, giving spectators an immediate confrontation between the leading three scores.
Coverage is listed online through LIVGolf.com and the tournament’s broadcast partners. Limited event tickets are also listed as available through the official LIV Golf website, with children aged 12 and under receiving complimentary Grounds Pass admission when accompanied by a paying adult, subject to the event’s stated conditions.
Herbert has spent the past few weeks discovering that the top of a leaderboard can become a familiar address. At JCB, the rest of the field now has three rounds to persuade him to move.
