Jon Rahm and Adrian Meronk each shot eight-under 62 to share the first-round lead at LIV Golf Jeddah on a day in which Anthony Kim made his return to professional golf after nearly 12 years.
LIV Golf’s newest team, Legion XIII, captained by Rahm, tops the team leaderboard at 17 under while in search of its second team title of the season after winning in their debut last month at Mayakoba. Stinger GC is one shot back.
Rahm, the reigning Masters champion, was bogey-free in his first look at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club. He’s finished top 10 in his two previous LIV Golf starts since joining in early December.
“I feel like my record when I’m playing tournaments for the first time has been pretty good for some reason,” Rahm said. “Sometimes not knowing is a blessing.”
Meronk played the 2020 PIF Saudi International at Royal Greens and was set to play again in 2021 until he contracted Covid. He spent 18 days in quarantine.
“That was my last memory from Saudi,” said the Polish star, who was signed by Cleeks GC prior to the season-opening tournament at Mayakoba.
Meronk suffered a bogey on his second hole but immediately bounced back with consecutive birdies. The highlight of his round was a chip-in for eagle at the par-four 10th. He tied for ninth in Las Vegas in his last LIV Golf start.
“I’m feeling way better this week than my first two weeks,” Meronk said. “I’m happy where my game is.”
Rahm and Meronk are one stroke ahead of the trio of Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann, Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau and Stinger’s Charl Schwartzel, who each shot 63.
Niemann beat Sergio Garcia in a playoff at Mayakoba to win for the first time since joining LIV. He recently received a special invitation to play in The Masters and continued to make the case he’s among the hottest golfers in the world Friday with a sizzling six under start in his first nine holes.
“It’s been good, but I just need to focus on what I have to do better,” Niemann said. “I think if I just keep doing that, then good things are going to come from that.”
DeChambeau was one under through his first 11 holes after suffering an early double-bogey but finished with birdies on six of his last seven holes.
“I finished off strong, that’s for sure,” he said. “I needed something good after the way I started. It was fun.”
Schwartzel also had an impressive bounce-back after shooting 80 in his final round in Las Vegas.
As for the 38-year-old Kim, who retired from golf in 2012 following an Achilles tendon injury, the rust was evident in his six-over 76.
“Obviously disappointed with the score, but I played much better than the score,” Kim said. “I’ve got a lot to build on.”
Photo: Jon Ferrey/LIV Golf
