LIV Indianapolis Round 1 Recap: Sebastian Munoz Shoots Record-Setting 59
The LIV Golf Individual Championship and Zone status for players will be decided after LIV Golf Indianapolis, the regular-season finale. Here's a look at the various projections after Friday:
INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP. Joaquin Niemann shot a 64 and is tied for third while Jon Rahm is tied for 12th after shooting 67. Niemann is now projected to win by 27.18 points.
THIRD PLACE. Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau entered the week in the final bonus-paying position and remains there after shooting 67. Patrick Reed did pass him at one point during the day when Reed held the solo lead, but the 4Aces GC star slipped back into a tie for third after shooting 64. Sebastian Munoz, who started the week in seventh, cannot catch DeChambeau.
LOCK ZONE. 4Aces GC Captain Dustin Johnson (28 to 13) and HyFlyers GC's Cameron Tringale (27 to 23) moved into the projected top 24 that earns guaranteed playing privileges for next season. Johnson is solo second on the leaderboard after shooting 62, while Tringale is tied for ninth after his 66. Dropping below the projected top 24 are Stinger GC's Charl Schwartzel (from 21 to 25) and Crushers GC's Charles Howell III (24 to 26).
DROP ZONE. HyFlyers GC's Andy Ogletree (50 to 47) moved out of the projected Drop Zone that will result in relegation after the season after shooting 67. Falling into the projected Drop Zone was Majesticks GC Co-Captain Lee Westwood (47 to 49), who shot a 70 and is tied for 38th.
"I'm obviously at risk and I can't play super-conservative," said Ogletree. "I have to go try to post a good score and make some birdies."
Sebastian Munoz faced an uphill 3-foot putt on his final hole Friday to finish off his historic round of 59. He said it was reminiscent of a short putt he failed to convert during an attempt to make the U.S. Open field.
"Kind of reminded me of a putt I hit in the U.S. Open qualifier in sectionals that I had a 3-footer to make it through, and I missed it, and I felt like I rushed it. I wasn't all of myself there," he said. "So, I just reminded myself, just stay here in the moment, keep breathing, one more time, just keep it simple, and it worked."
4Aces GC Captain Dustin Johnson is trying to post his first win of the year; he has only failed to record a win in a calendar year just one time in his professional career, and he has won a LIV Golf tournament in each of his first three seasons. Friday's 9-under 62 sets him up for a potential weekend run.
"I know it's late in the season, but I've been working at it hard," Johnson said. "It just hasn't really clicked. … It would be nice to finish off the year with a win, but obviously there's two more rounds and a lot of good players and still 36 holes to go."
The field average of 68.519 in the first round is nearly 2-1/2 strokes under par at The Club at Chatham Hills. A total of 17 eagles were made on Friday, including 10 at the 554-yard par-5 seventh, which played to a stroke average of 4.148. That made it the easiest hole in any single round in LIV Golf history.
"With this type of golf course, you've got to be able to put on the gas and get going," said 4Aces GC star Patrick Reed after shooting a 7-under 64 that left him tied for third.
LIV Golf announced that grounds passes for Indianapolis sold out for Friday's opening round and are also sold out for Saturday's second round. Fans can still access the action through a limited number of VIP and Premium Hospitality experiences. A limited number of grounds passes remain available for Sunday's final round.
There have now been three sub-60 rounds shot in the first four seasons of LIV Golf.
Bryson DeChambeau, 58 (12 under), 2023 LIV Golf Greenbrier, Rd. 3
Joaquin Niemann, 59 (12 under), 2024 LIV Golf Mayakoba, Rd. 1
Sebastián Muñoz, 59 (12 under), 2025 LIV Golf Indianapolis, Rd. 1
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