LIV Golf Leaderboard in Bangkok: Former amateur star Eugenio Chacarra takes the lead after Round 1

While many on the US East Coast were fast asleep, LIV Golf kicked off its sixth event in its inaugural season. The LIV Golf event in Bangkok got a head start at Stonehill Golf Course as bombers and bombers alike maneuvered efficiently around the relatively new golf course built by Thai billionaire Sarath Ratanavadi.

Demonstrating a depth of field and a wide age range – something LIV was heavily criticized at first – the youngest and one of the oldest members of the circuit found their name at the top of the rankings. It looks like Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra has finally hit his stride as a pro after a no-nonsense 7 under 65 in the first round in Bangkok.

Once ranked 2nd in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Chacarra represents the type of golfer LIV Golf hopes to attract in the future. Young, dynamic and relevant through past amateur and college games, the 22-year-old shares the lead with British cruiser Richard Bland and LIV Portland winner Branden Grace.

LIV CEO Greg Norman and Co. may secretly hope for Chacarra’s victory, but it won’t come without tension. Four-time major championship winner Brooks Koepka is not far off with a 5 under 67 pace – a welcome sight for Smash GC fans. Koepka has struggled in her previous four LIV appearances and is yet to break into the top 10.

While Koepka is hoping to break this dry spell, current season-long point leader Dustin Johnson will have some work to do over the next 36 holes to maintain his record. The LIV Boston winner and captain of the 4 Aces is a perfect 5 to 5 finish in the top 10 and finds himself in 21st place after signing 2 under 70.

Johnson and the rest of his 4 Aces are in foreign territory as well as they are 10th in the team competition. Arriving in Bangkok after four straight wins, they will need to keep an eye on Sergio Garcia’s Fireball if this dynasty is to keep afloat.

Leaders

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

It’s easy to forget how young some professional golfers are in this day and age when they show up earlier and earlier each year. Chacarra is no different after experiencing a strong amateur and college career at Oklahoma State. At LIV Golf in Portland, the Spaniard’s team won an impressive podium spot thanks to a 54th hole birdie from Carlos Ortiz.

While there was joy and exhilaration from the team’s point of view, personally, Chacarra struggled. Scoring a T21 in Chicago – his best to date – perhaps Chacarra is finally starting to get his nerve and play the way he did in his amateur days.

“I struggled for the first four weeks, being both professional and nervous and all these people, how good they are and just trying to learn every week. I feel like my game is getting back on track. should get better every week, and today I’ve been thinking about what I went to college for the last couple of years when I had all the success, and I was just trying to play so I wouldn’t make up tricks,” Chacarra said. “I couldn’t play with that stride today, and it certainly worked; I didn’t do any of the scams. But like I said, these guys are really, really good. trying to learn every week, very happy with my results, but still have a long way to go.”

Other candidates

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)

Three betting favorites are not in the top 20 of the leaderboard, making way for a potential surprise winner in Bangkok. Johnson, Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann all struggled in the first round and are unlikely to pose a serious threat without a big effort on Day 2.

Poulter is a surprising name having only surpassed the lead by a breakout. The Englishman isn’t necessarily the longest player in the world, and he hasn’t played his best golf in recent months. His last top 10 finish was in January on the DP World Tour, but he may have found something in Bangkok and is a player who needs to keep an eye on the final 36 holes.

the elephant in the room

The official world golf rankings are in the minds of players as the executive committee evaluates LIV Golf Bangkok’s performance from a world ranking points perspective. Whether the decision to award points retroactively through the MENA Tour is still up for debate, but that hasn’t stopped some players from disclosing their opinions.

“They are postponing the inevitable,” says Bryson DeChambeau. “We got every point in their criteria, so we don’t get points which is quite crazy to be on top – at least I believe we have the top players in the world.

“As they continue to hold back, they will continue to play a waiting game where we will continue to fall down the rankings to where our points will never matter,” continued DeChambeau. “That’s what they’re trying to accomplish and I hope that people can see right through that instead of believing the lies they’ve been told. From my perspective, I think We deserve the points.”

Team leaderboard