Sebastian Munoz shoots 59 with a double bogey at LIV event in Indianapolis
WESTFIELD, Ind. — Sebastian Munoz of Colombia shot the third sub-60 score in LIV Golf history on Friday and is the first to post a 59 in a round that included a double bogey.
Munoz led LIV Golf Indianapolis at the par-71 The Club at Chatham Hills. He has a three-stroke lead over Dustin Johnson.
The 32-year-old Munoz joins Joaquin Niemann, who shot a 59 at the LIV Golf Mayakoba event in the first round of the 2024 season. Bryson DeChambeau has the LIV Golf low round of 58 at Greenbrier.
This is the final tournament that determines the individual champion in the LIV Golf League. Munoz, along with Jon Rahm and Carlos Ortiz, are the only players in the top 10 who have yet to win this year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indianapolis Star
11 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
Dustin Johnson pulls into a tie with Sebastian Munoz at LIV Golf Indianapolis
WESTFIELD – All eyes were on Sebastian Munoz at The Club at Chatham Hills after he shot a historic opening round the day prior, but as Saturday's LIV Golf Indianapolis second round unfolded, the attention shifted. Trailing Munoz (Torque GC) by three strokes to start, 4Aces GC captain Dustin Johnson evened things up with a 7-under par 64 to pull into a two-way tie atop the leaderboard at 16 under 126 through 36 holes. Munoz finished the second day 4-under 67 and 16 under 126 overall to remain in first, but the Columbian struggled to replicate the magic he showcased by sinking 13 birdies in his final 14 holes played on Friday for 12 under 59. Johnson, however, played the course with precision, once again, nearly matching his 9 under 62 carded during the first round. 'It was a really solid round. Got off to a little bit of a shaky start there at the very beginning. Just drove in the bunker on one and hit over the green,' Johnson said. 'Then, you know, hit some good shots after that.' Johnson opened in the same group as Munoz on the course's first hole, and the two-time Majors winner systematically logged five pars to start before recording two of his seven birdies in the round. Four of his birdies fell in on the back nine paired with five pars, which gave the American 11 for the day. 'Just took me a little while to get going, but once I did, I felt like I played really solid,' Johnson said. 'You just have to hit the fairways. If you hit the fairways, you're going to attack the course, but you still got to hit quality golf shots to get close to the hole.' Munoz held the early advantage, as he continued his birdie barrage with four to begin the second round and six through the course's front nine. Three pars kept his round score at 29, one stroke off his lowest nine-hole total from Friday when he became the third sub-60 golfer in LIV history. Yet, a bogey on the 10th hole and another par-4 bogey on 15 opened the door for Johnson and the 4Aces. Torque GC leads the team leaderboard at 39 under ahead of 4Aces GC at 36 under. Torque GC held a four-stroke advantage prior to Saturday's round. 'Obviously, yeah, he got off to a great start, and I got off to a slow start,' Johnson said. 'But, you know, you just got to keep trying to make birdies. You know, get in the fairway, just get looks, and that's what I did. I did that from about six on end. Played really well.' Munoz was hit with a double-bogey on the 18th hole to end his day, following a provisional ball after back-to-back slices off the tee that hooked into the gallery. The bogeys chipped away the 32-year-old's attempt to carry a potential lead after two rounds heading to the final 18 holes on Sunday morning. Behind the duo is a six-way tie for third entering Sunday's make-or-break final round. Thomas Pieters and Patrick Reed of 4Aces GC, Henrik Stenson of Majesticks GC, Adrian Meronk of Cleeks GC, David Puig of Fireballs GC and Torque GC captain Joaquin Niemann each finished the second day at 12 under 130. Johnson has 31 career wins and three in LIV Golf with the 41-year-old's last tournament victory at LIV Golf Las Vegas on Feb. 10, 2024, with a 12 under 198. On Sunday, Johnson, who is ranked 28th in the season standings, will aim to win his fourth LIV Golf tournament event in as many years. He was also victorious at the LIV Golf Invitational Boston in 2022 and LIV Golf Tulsa in 2023. 'You just got to play from the fairway here. If you can play out of the fairway, you get a lot of good chances. Just as long as I drive well tomorrow, I think I'll contend,' Johnson said. 'I'm playing really solid. I'm really comfortable, so hopefully, it will be a good day and a good fight. Get a chance to win coming down to the last few holes.' Niemann finished Friday locked in a four-way tie for third. After Saturday, he maintained his position by shooting a 5 under 66 to follow up his 7 under 64, but now he's caught in a six-way deadlock. The Chilean logged consecutive bogeys on the fourth and fifth holes to start his day, but four birdies on the next five kept him on pace. Niemann had seven straight pars on the back nine and a birdie on 18 to put him at 12 under 130. Defending LIV Individual Champion Jon Rahm (Legion XIII) jumped from 12th to ninth on the leaderboard. After a 4 under 67 on Friday, the Spaniard finished 7 under 64 in the second round behind eight birdies and nine pars. Rahm is 11 under 131, entering Sunday in a three-way tie for ninth with Stinger GC's Branden Grace and Range Goats GC captain Bubba Watson. If Niemann remains in third or fourth, then Rahm must win the tournament to overtake his competitor for the league's individual title. If Niemann drops to as low as eighth, then Rahm can win the individual crown with a tournament runner-up finish.
Newsweek
13 hours ago
- Newsweek
Rory McIlroy Gives Nod to Potential Ryder Cup Underdog
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. It's no secret that Rory McIlroy is a powerful voice on the European side of the Ryder Cup. For this reason, his every word on the matter resonates throughout the golf world, and if it bears a player's name, even more so. That's exactly what happened after the second round of the BMW Championship, with several potential European Ryder Cup team members controlling the top of the leaderboard. McIlroy expressed his satisfaction with players like Robert MacIntyre, Viktor Hovland, and Ludvig Aberg, but took the opportunity to mention one who may not be in many people's plans. "It's good to see Bob (MacIntyre), Ludvig (Aberg), Viktor Hovland), Tommy (Fleetwood), even Harry Hall, that maybe got a chance to play in the team. Yeah, it bodes well for a few weeks' time." Regarding Hall, he added: "I played with Harry in his first start as a pro at the Dunhill Links a few years ago. I know him a little bit. Really nice player, great rhythm to his golf swing, and he's sort of done it a different way. He went over to UNLV (University of Nevada-Las Vegas) and did it that way. But he's become a very consistent player, so we'll see what happens." Rory McIlory of Northern Ireland plays his tee shot on the 18th hole watched by his playing partner Harry Hall of England on the 18th hole during the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links... Rory McIlory of Northern Ireland plays his tee shot on the 18th hole watched by his playing partner Harry Hall of England on the 18th hole during the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the Old Course at St Andrews on September 29, 2019 in St Andrews, United Kingdom. MoreHall started the third round of the BMW Championship tied for eighth with a score of 5-under. The Englishman is currently ranked 19th in the European Ryder Cup Team rankings, so a strong result at Caves Valley would put him squarely in the conversation for Luke Donald's free picks. Hall has two more chances to continue earning points and move even closer to a spot on the team. His performance at the BMW Championship is poised to take him to the PGA Tour's Tour Championship for the first time in his career. Two weeks later, he will play the DP World Tour's British Masters, which closes the eligibility period for the European team. After this iconic tournament hosted by Nick Faldo at The Belfry, the six direct qualifiers will be determined. Shortly following, Donald is expected to announce his six free picks. Hall owes his current status as a Ryder Cup contender to his strong season on the PGA Tour. In 23 tournaments, he has only missed three cuts, with 13 top-25 finishes and four top-10s. His best result of the year so far has been a T6 finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Hall has never played in the Ryder Cup, although he has experience in team events, having played in the Arnold Palmer Cup and the Walker Cup during his amateur career. He has played professionally since 2019 and on the PGA Tour since 2023, where his best result is one win. More Golf: Scottie Scheffler shows his edge amid 'ridiculous' Ryder Cup questions
USA Today
14 hours ago
- USA Today
LIV Golf announces it will return to this market in 2026
LIV Golf Indianapolis will return to Indianapolis The Club at Chatham Hills next year, the series announced Saturday to the media. The event will be Aug. 21-23. 'The Indiana region, city of Westfield, Hamilton County and Chatham Hills have all been tremendous hosts to LIV Golf, and we're looking forward to building on this momentum when the league returns to The Club at Chatham Hills in 2026,' said Ross Hallett, LIV Golf Executive Vice President, Head of Events, in a news release. 'From the course's outstanding design to the record attendance and fantastic energy throughout the community, this week's Indiana debut has exceeded our high expectations. We've already begun planning for next year, and we can't wait to raise the bar in 2026.' Soon after Sebastian Munoz fired a 59 on Friday, LIV officials announced that grounds passes for this week's event at the Club at Chatham Hills in Indianapolis sold out for Friday and Saturday. There are a limited number of passes remaining for Sunday. According to a story from the Indianapolis Star, an on-site manager reported that 16,430 tickets were scanned on Friday. That is the number of tickets that were used to gain entry into the event, and not the total sold. Tickets for LIV Golf Indianapolis 2026 are available at including three-day grounds passes and Club 54 Hospitality Tickets.
