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South Africa's Dean Burmester leads by one stroke after Friday's opening round of the LIV Golf Andalucia event in Sotogrande, Spain.
Burmester had six birdies and carded a 5-under 66 in windy conditions at Real Club Valderrama.
Australian Danny Lee is one shot behind and Spain's Eugenio Chacarra is in solo third place at 3-under.
Only seven of the 54 golfers finished under par. Defending champion Talor Gooch is 10 shots off the pace after a 76.
"Valderrama is someplace, I mean, even in the best of conditions it's tough," Burmester said. "It was probably one of the best putting rounds I've ever had as a professional. Just every time I stood over a putt, I just felt like I could make it. You don't get days like that too often ... I certainly don't."
Burmester, 35, who claimed his first LIV individual title at Miami in April, made his lone bogey at the par-4 14th hole.
"The wind obviously played its part. It was gusting up to 30-plus kilometers I think today," Burmester said. "... It was like playing in a U.S. Open. It was tough and fast and yeah, like I said, I don't know how I shot 5-under, to be honest with you."
Lee also collected six birdies but gave shots back with bogeys at the par-3 third hole and par-4 16th.
"It was a little different than Monday through Thursday practice rounds," Lee said. "Greens got way firmer. Some of the downhill putts with the downwind, it was hard to hit. But I want to say I wasn't playing like perfect golf. I was out of position a couple times. Whenever I did that, I grinded it out for really good pars and it was good, the whole round."
Burmester's Stinger GC leads the team competition at 4-under, two strokes ahead of Sergio Garcia's Fireballs GC.
Garcia, one of the home-country favorites this weekend, shot a 2-under 69 and is tied for fourth with Anirban Lahiri of India.
"First thing I'm going to say is that whoever thinks there's no level-up here, there's no competition, they better check it out," Garcia said. "Because for eight guys or nine guys to shoot under par here today in these conditions on this golf course -- I mean, I thought 2-under would probably be around the lead and I'm three shots behind."
Fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm, still seeking his first LIV individual title, is in a group of eight players tied for 16th at 2-over.
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NBC keeps U.S. Open through 2032 in media-rights extension
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Former crew chief frustrated by the 'ridiculous' racing at Watkins Glen
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2 Steelers first-stringers in danger of losing starting jobs ahead of 2025 NFL season
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a different look and a different feel coming into the 2025 season after bringing in Aaron Rodgers as their new starting quarterback. Poor QB play has haunted Mike Tomlin and company throughout the last few years ever since Ben Roethlisberger left his prime, and they are hoping that Rodgers helps fix that issue. While the future Hall-of-Famer is firmly cemented as the team’s starting quarterback, there are some other positions on the roster that are still up for grabs as the preseason rages on and Tomlin finalizes what his lineup for Week 1. The Steelers also brought in DK Metcalf in a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason, giving Rodgers a true No. 1 option to throw the ball to. They also offloaded George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in a separate trade, leaving that second wide receiver spot there for the taking. The Steelers also lost Najee Harris this offseason, making Jaylen Warren the presumed featured back. However, that spot could be in jeopardy as well if the returning running back isn’t careful. Earlier in training camp, the Steelers released their first unofficial depth chart of the season. Here are two players who showed up as starters in that release that could get caught for those spots in the coming weeks. RB Jaylen Warren Jaylen Warren has been splitting carries and touches with Najee Harris over the last couple of years, but with Harris gone he seemed destined to be the featured back for Tomlin and company. Not so fast. Insert former Iowa superstar Kaleb Johnson, who the Steelers drafted in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. That was maybe a bit later than many expected Johnson to be selected after his spectacular 2024 season with the Hawkeyes, but that also means there is a chance that the Steelers got a steal. It won’t be easy to take the job from Warren, who does a lot of things well and can positively impact the offense both in the running game and as a receiver. In his three seasons in Pittsburgh, Warren has amassed 2,568 yards and six touchdowns. He has great burst but also solid power in between the tackles and runs very low to the ground, making it difficult to bring him down. However, Warren’s size makes it somewhat difficult to envision him being a true workhorse back, which could open the door for Johnson to become a bellcow on early downs. At 6-foot-1, 224 pounds, the rookie is a much bigger back who is built to withstand the rigors of getting a lot of touches every week. That was on full display at Iowa last season, when Johnson rushed for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns, leading the Big Ten in both categories despite playing in an offense that offered no threat through the air. If it weren’t for the spectacular season of Ashton Jeanty at Boise State, Johnson could have garnered more recognition for awards at the end of the season. Johnson looked a step slow in his preseason debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he still has the ability to become the main back on early downs for Tomlin and company before too long. WR Calvin Austin III This comes with a bit of a caveat that the Steelers list just two starting wide receivers on their depth chart along with two tight ends, which leaves room for a third wideout that could be a potential “starter” in Arthur Smith’s offense. Austin is listed as the second starter alongside DK Metcalf, but Smith could opt to go with veteran Robert Woods in certain situations and make Austin more of a third slot wide receiver. The primary reason for this is that Woods has built a reputation as one of the best run blockers in football at his position. Smith loves to run the football, and the Steelers project to have one of the highest run rates in the league this coming season. Woods doesn’t have the same juice as a receiver that he once did, but he could see the field more one early downs and in neutral situations while Smith looks to get the most he can out of his run game. Austin is also dealing with an injury during the preseason that has held him out of practice, which could hurt him in getting to 100% by the time the regular season starts. Still, Austin will be a big part of the offense when he does get healthy. He is one of the most explosive players on the team and gives the Steelers a big-play threat that can take the top off the defense at any time. Now that Pittsburgh should have its best quarterback play during Austin’s career, he could have a lot more big plays coming his way in the near future.
Handicapping the 49ers' tight end competition: A Young TE is Emerging
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