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Lucas Herbert and Bryson DeChambeau picked up right where they left off at Royal Birkdale.
Herbert, who has been the top Ripper GC in recent weeks, shot an 11-under 61 in the first round of the LIV Golf United Kingdom Presented by JCB at JCB Golf & Country Club. The bogey-free effort broke the course record of 62, set four years ago in an event where the course also played a par 72.
It is the lowest score relative to par in his LIV Golf career and a continuation of a streak that has seen Herbert become one of the game’s best players, beginning with a win at LIV Golf Virginia in May. He then held the 36-hole lead at the Open Championship, where he shot 62 in the second round to tie the all-time scoring record.
He has now shot 11 under par in the first round at JCB.
Herbert turned around with a 5-under 31 and kept his foot down with a back nine at 6 under, missing the chance for something even more special when a putt at 17 for a shot at 59 narrowly missed.
“Of course it is,” Herbert said when asked if he was thinking about 59. “You could see in my reaction there on the 17th, when that didn’t go in, I thought, that was my chance. But if you were going to pick days that you were going to shoot 59, I wouldn’t have thought that today would have been the day. The golf course is a little firm, which makes the game a little tougher and a little bit of a breeze moving around. I’m incredibly happy with 61 still.”
He attributed his recent run of results to a new level of confidence.
“I think once you’ve been there and done it 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 at the top of the rankings.”
Right behind him is DeChambeau, who continued his hot streak with an 8-under 64, continuing the pace he carried through the first two rounds at Royal Birkdale before finishing T14 there last week.
The Crushers GC captain made the turn at 5-under 31, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 fourth, and added a 3-under nine despite a late bogey at the 16th that briefly cooled his momentum. DeChambeau is alone in second place and in position to chase Herbert all week.
The two stars of Ripper GC and Crushers GC also led their teams to the top of the team standings. Ripper GC leads at 19 under, with Marc Leishman (68) and Cameron Smith (69) providing solid support and Travis Smyth posting a respectable 71. Crushers GC is second at 15 under, with Charles Howell III and Anirban Lahiri both at 68 to go with DeChambeau’s 64.
Behind the two co-leaders, Tyrrell Hatton and Harold Varner III shared third place individually at 6-under 666, and Hatton also anchored Legion XIII in a tie for third in the team standings at 8-under.
It was a solid start for the local favorite, who will have the support of the crowd throughout the weekend. The Majesticks Golf Club contingent, playing in front of their home fans, was led by Ian Poulter, who shot a 4-under 68 to place inside the top 10 individually, while Lee Westwood added a 1-under 71. Laurie Canter and Sam Horsfield each posted 1-over 73 on a course that took advantage of the afternoon breeze, leaving the Majesticks tied for sixth as a team at 3-under, plenty of ground to make up. but he is far from out of the game with three rounds still to play.
Elsewhere, Caleb Surratt joined the group with a 4-under 68, Peter Uihlein and Cameron Smith were at 3-under 69, and Thomas Detry opened with a 3-under 69.
With Herbert and DeChambeau setting a blistering pace at the top, the rest of the LIV Golf UK field will need something special over the next three days to catch them.
LIV Golf UK Round 1 Standings
1. Lucas Herbert (-11)
2. Bryson DeChambeau (-8)
T-3. Tyrrell Hatton (-6)
T-3. Harold Varner III (-6)
T-5. Byeong Hun An (-5)
T-5. Richard T. Lee (-5)
T-7. Abraham Ancer (-4)
T-7. Björn Hellgren (-4)
T-7. Charles Howell III (-4)
T-7. Anirban Lahiri (-4)
T-7. Marc Leishman (-4)
T-7. Luis Masaveu (-4)
T-7. Ian Poulter (-4)
T-7. Caleb Surrat (-4)
T-7. Scott Vicente (-4)
This piece is courtesy of Mike McAllister in association with LIV Golf.
