Gurugram: Eugenio Chacarra has had a testy relationship with LIV Tour. Two months ago, he had expressed a desire to excel at the International Series in order to continue playing in the cash-rich league. A month later, the Spaniard, after landing in the “Drop Zone” in the season-ending LIV rankings, was not retained by his team Fireballs GC, which means he is currently out of contract. Then, as recently as two weeks back, he criticised LIV for offering “only money” while positioning himself for a spot in the Majors and on the PGA Tour.

In that context, ending the opening day of the year’s first International Series as the clubhouse leader at the daunting DLF Golf and Country Club must have come as a temporary relief for the player who “just wants to play as much as I can” now. The highly-rated 24-year-old started the day at back nine and by the time the play was suspended at 6pm due to poor light, he had carded an impressive 68 (4-under).

Japan’s Kazuki Higa also had a 4-under to show although he has three more holes to play.

After foggy conditions delayed the start by an hour, Chacarra started by making pars on his first three holes. He then made a triple bogey and a bogey on the par-4 13th and 14th holes respectively before firing birdies on the 15th, 16th, and 17th. He bogeyed again on the tricky par-5 18th but there would be no further mistakes in the day. On the front nine, he saved a shot each on the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 7th holes before an eagle on the 8th put him on top.

“I’m very pleased with my score. I have been working really hard, going non-stop on the golf course,” he said.

“I was four over through five holes, but I felt I played great. I had two good looks on the 11th and 12th (which he parred) that I didn’t convert with good putts. And then on 13th, I hit a good shot that bounced hard and went on the wall. It made a mess of that hole with that triple bogey. But I stayed patient. I know it’s a good course for me. It’s a kind of ball-striking course, and I love it out here.”

Higa, who also started on the back nine, faltered on his first hole but recovered well to score three birdies (1st, 4th, 13th holes) to go with an eagle on the 18th. The 29-year-old has every chance to build on this headstart.

Bryson DeChambeau, the biggest pull of the tournament, had a day dotted with birdies, bogeys, and an eagle for the ages. Egged on by a vociferous crowd, the American had a strong front nine -- three birdies, one bogey, and an eagle -- but bogeys on the 10th, 12th, and 15th prevented him from sneaking in on Aaron Wilkin at the second spot who had a bogey-free round to finish three-under.

While DeChambeau’s driving is undeniably his great strength, he did showcase his prowess with strategising, most notably on the par-5 eighth. After his tee shot landed in the bunker, DeChambeau was faced with the steep bunker front, a tricky roll of the fairway and a lake to navigate. The 31-year-old changed his club thrice before deciding on his iron and unfurled a perfect 205-yard draw that snaked over the lake and landed on the green. He then putted for eagle as the crowd erupted in disbelief.

However, he struggled with his ten-foot putts on the back nine with three bogeys halting his surge. By contrast, Niemann preferred economy over attack, an approach that resulted in only a solitary bogey to go with his three birdies.

DeChambeau’s Crushers’ teammate on the LIV Tour, Anirban Lahiri, was the best Indian on view. The 37-year-old carded an even par 72 that included four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey.

“I think I played pretty terribly. I hit my irons all over the place and did not have a half-decent look at birdie till the ninth,” said Lahiri.

“There were times when I hit it good. But I’m very happy with the way I dug my heels. I had a couple of places where I gave away some shots, but that can happen on a course like DLF. Some extreme tough pin positions out there.”

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