PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico — Jon Rahm and his Legion XIII’s debut was set to be the talk of the first round of LIV Golf’s 2024 season opener, but the big man from the Basque region of Spain took a backseat to Joaquin Niemann on Friday.
With the shotgun start, Niemann began his round on No. 2 at Mayakoba’s El Camaleon Golf Course and made par before he rattled off seven birdies over his next eight holes. From the fairway on the par-4 11th, the Torque GC captain one-hopped his ball on the green and into the cup for eagle to move to 9 under through 10 holes and put his round on 59 watch. Birdies at Nos. 13 and 15 moved Niemann to 11 under with four holes to play on the par-71 track.
His birdie putt on No. 16 came up less than a foot short of falling, leading to a disappointing par. From the first cut rough on the 17th, Niemann stuffed his approach inside five feet to set up a clutch birdie to move to 12-under – and on track for a sub-60 round – with two holes to play. On No. 18, his second-to-last hole, Niemann pulled his birdie putt left so he had to take par. One more hole to go, one more par or better to break 60.
On the No. 1 hole to close out his round, Niemann landed his driver in the fairway, then facing a second shot from 110 yards out, came up short of the green. Putting from off the green for this third he rolled his ball up to about a foot and a half and marked it so Rahm, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka could putt out.
Niemann then tapped in for his 59, the second sub-60 round in LIV Golf, setting a course record in the process.
Bryson DeChambeau shot a 12-under 58 in the final round of LIV Golf Greenbrier last season.
