The LIV Golf Tournament. (Photo: Christian Petersen_/Getty Images North America/AFP)
The two South Africans Dean Burmester and Branden Grace both shot 67 shots (-4) in the first round of the LIV golf tournament on Friday night (South African time) in Orlando, Florida, but despite their good rounds they are still five strokes behind the leader, the Colombian Sebastian Muñoz (62, -9).
Muñoz’s score tied the best in the two-year history of the series.
He is followed by English veteran Richard Bland (64, -7), with American Brooks Koepka and New Zealander Danny Lee, who won the previous tournament, on 65 (-6).
Louis Oosthuizen scored 70 shots (-1) and Charl Schwartzel followed on 71 shots (equal par).
In the team division, the South African Stinger team (Burmester, Grace and Oosthuizen) is in seventh position (-9). The Smash team is ahead (-14) followed by Torgue (-13) and the Majestics (-11).
* In the US PGA Series’ Valero-Open being played in San Antonio, Texas, American Patrick Rodgers is on course for his first victory in the series after shooting 67 in the rain-interrupted second round.
Rodgers finished with 133 shots (-11).
Rodgers is three houe ahead of Corey Connors of Canada and Roberto Diaz of Mexico, who finished on (-8).
Connors finished his round, but Diaz was on the tenth hole before the halt was called.
South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout is on 141 and MJ Daffue, who was on the 12th hole, is on -3.
Garrick Higgo was at -2 and on the 15th hole.
* In Modimolle in Limpopo, heavy rain and lightning led to the second day’s play in the Limpopo Championship, which is played at the Euphoria estate and is part of the Sonsyn Series, being canceled early on Friday because the course was unplayable.
Thursday’s first round was suspended due to the inclement conditions with Jaco Prinsloo and Jacques Blaauw leading the clubhouse on 66 (-6).
They were followed by Wynand Dingle (68).
The first round would be completed on Saturday morning at 07:30 and the second round, weather permitting, would start at 9:05.
* In the US LPGA Series’ LA-Open played on the Palos Verdes course in Los Angeles, China’s Ruoning Yin and Korea’s Hyo-Joo Kim are joint leaders at 132 (-10) after the second round.
They are followed by Nasa Hataoka of Japan (133, -9) with Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Canada third at 134 (-8).
South Africa’s Paula Reto is tied for par on 140 shots, but in 40th position.
