Dean Burmester shot a five-under 66 for a one-shot advantage as the Real Club Valderrama bared its teeth in Friday’s first round of LIV Golf Andalucía.
It was the toughest scoring day in the league’s young history, and even the South African, who also led Stinger GC to the top of the team leaderboard, wasn’t sure how he managed the low score.
“Valderrama is some place,” said Burmester, the winner earlier this season in Miami on another difficult course, Doral’s Blue Monster. “I don’t know how I shot five under, to be honest with you.”
Just seven of the 54 players in the field were under par, the fewest amount in a single round of any LIV Golf regular-season tournament.
The field stroke average of 3.519 over par, with five players shooting 80 or higher, is the highest for any of LIV Golf’s 88 regular-season rounds.
Collectively, the field was 190 over, and just one hole played under par, the par-five 11th.
Gusting winds reaching nearly 20mph from a direction that was different than the practice days required players to throw their game plans out the window. The winds also dried the greens, creating firm putting surfaces.
Fireballs GC Captain Sergio Garcia, who has more experience at Spain’s most celebrated golf course than any other LIV Golf player, told fellow Spaniard and playing partner Jon Rahm early in their round that Valderrama was “showing some teeth today. Probably not the whole mouth but definitely the teeth.”
Replied the Legion XIII captain: “Some teeth? I think it’s more than that.”
Rahm, making his first start in his home country since joining LIV Golf in the off-season, shot a two-over 73 on a day in which he said he made just one mistake, misjudging his putt on the 13th hole, leading to a three-putt bogey.
“I feel like I played really good,” said Rahm, in an eight-way tie for 16th. “The scores on this golf course a lot of times are worse than it feels like.”
Garcia was one of those seven players under par, shooting a two-under 69 to share fourth place with Crushers GC’s Anirban Lahiri.
Fireballs teammate Eugenio Chacarra of Spain was one stroke better, shooting a 68 as his game continues to trend up after a tie for third at last week’s International Series Morocco.
“My goal for today was to play smart golf,” Chacarra said. “I know my game is there.”
The Fireballs, with three Spanish players on their roster, are at two under and in second place on the team leaderboard, two shots behind the Stingers.
The closest pursuer to Burmester on the individual leaderboard is Iron Heads GC’s Danny Lee, who shot a four-under 67. It’s his fourth best round relative to par this season as he’s struggled for results. He entered this week ranked 45th in points.
“Definitely a sign that I’m moving into the right direction,” said Lee, whose goal is to finish the regular season inside the top 24 to lock up playing privileges for 2025.
For Burmester, the key to survival on Friday was his putter. He needed just 21 putts, which tied for fewest in the field with Wild Card player Anthony Kim, who shot a 73.
“It was probably one of the best putting rounds I’ve ever had as a professional,” Burmester said. “Just every time I stood over a putt, I just felt like could I make it. You don’t get days like that too often.”
LIV Golf players have never seen a day like this. They’re hoping for a bit of relief this weekend in the final two rounds.
“Can it be more difficult? Yes, everything can be more difficult,” Rahm said. “But not a lot harder, obviously. Today was a pretty hard day.”
