In an astonishing display of resilience, Dean Burmester and his Stinger GC team conquered the fierce conditions at Real Club Valderrama during the opening round of LIV Golf Andalucía.
This historic course, known for its demanding layout, unveiled its most formidable side, resulting in the toughest scoring day in LIV Golf’s young history.
Burmester’s 5-under 66 led the field, but even the South African maestro was baffled by his performance. “Valderrama is some place,” Burmester remarked, reflecting on his earlier win at Doral’s Blue Monster. “I don’t know how I shot 5 under, to be honest with you.”
Only seven out of the 54 players managed to break par, marking a record low for any LIV Golf regular-season round.
The field’s average score soared to 3.519 over par, with five players posting scores of 80 or higher, setting a new high for any of the league’s 88 rounds.
The entire field finished a staggering 190 over par, with the par-5 11th being the sole hole playing under par.
The gusty winds, peaking at nearly 20 mph and shifting directions from the practice days, forced players to abandon their prepared strategies.
These winds also dried out the greens, making the putting surfaces exceptionally firm.
Sergio Garcia, captain of Fireballs GC and a veteran of Valderrama, warned fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm early in their round, “Valderrama was showing some teeth today.
Probably not the whole mouth but definitely the teeth.” Rahm, in his home country debut for LIV Golf, agreed, adding, “Some teeth? I think it’s more than that.”
Rahm shot a 2-over 73, citing a misjudged putt on the 13th as his only real mistake.
“I feel like I played really good,” said Rahm, who finished the day tied for 16th. “The scores on this golf course a lot of times are worse than it feels like.”
Garcia was among the seven players under par, finishing with a 2-under 69 to share fourth place with Anirban Lahiri of Crushers GC.
Fireballs teammate Eugenio Chacarra of Spain, continuing his upward trend from a tie for third in last week’s International Series Morocco, shot a 68.
“My goal for today was to play smart golf,” Chacarra said. “I know my game is there.”
Fireballs GC, bolstered by their three Spanish players, stood at 2 under, just two shots behind the leading Stingers.
Danny Lee of Iron Heads GC closely followed Burmester on the individual leaderboard with a 4-under 67, marking his fourth-best round of the season.
Lee, ranked 45th in points, aims to finish the regular season inside the top 24 to secure his playing privileges for 2025.
“Definitely a sign that I’m moving into the right direction,” Lee commented.
Burmester attributed his success to an exceptional putting performance, needing only 21 putts, tying with Wild Card player Anthony Kim, who also shot a 73.
“It was probably one of the best-putting rounds I’ve ever had as a professional,” Burmester said.
“Just every time I stood over a putt, I just felt like could I make it. You don’t get days like that too often.”
As LIV Golf players brace for the weekend, they hope for more manageable conditions.
“Can it be more difficult? Yes, everything can be more difficult,” Rahm said. “… But not a lot harder, obviously. Today was a pretty hard day.”
