Sebastián Muñoz shot a record-tying 62 in Friday’s opening round of LIV Golf Orlando.
The Colombian played his first 11 holes in eight under. The thought of shooting 59 certainly was on his mind as he headed toward the tee box at the par-four 7th hole.
“Last year I shot 60 two times, so it’s one of my goals, to get to 59 one day,” Muñoz said. “I thought I hit a good shot on 7. I gave myself a 45-footer and I three-putted that one. I knew that was going to kind of be the end of the 59 strategy.”
Even so, Muñoz finished his round with consecutive birdies to shoot a nine-under 62 at Orange County National. That ties for the lowest score in LIV Golf history and gives the Colombian star a two-shot advantage going into the weekend of the third event on the LIV Golf schedule.
Richard Bland is in solo second at 64, while Brooks Koepka and Tucson winner Danny Lee of Iron Heads GC share third at 65.
South Africans Dean Burmester and Branden Grace both carded 67s for a share of seventh.
“Great day,” said Muñoz, who began his round with an eagle at the par-five 14th. “Felt really in control of my driver, irons, putting. … Everything felt kind of easy today.”
Bland began his round with a double-bogey but quickly bounced back with consecutive birdies and eventually finished with an eagle to climb into solo second.
“I kind of righted the ship pretty quick,” Bland said. “I played the front nine great. Whenever I kind of had a look, I made it.”
Despite winning two weeks ago in just his second LIV Golf start, Lee said he did not enter Orlando with high expectations. He started his round with a bogey but eventually found his groove, shooting a bogey-free six under on his last 14 holes.
“Monday through Thursday, my body wasn’t feeling well,” Lee said. “I was feeling weak, and wasn’t sleeping well because of the time difference coming over from the West Coast. I didn’t know I was going to play this well.”
