Two Veterans Share Lead After Round 1 at LIV Opener in Mexico

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – The first round of LIV Golf’s inaugural league season got under way Friday at the Mayakoba Resort and two of the game’s veteran players, Paul Casey and Jason Kokrak, moved in front with matching 6-under-par 65s at the El Camaleon course.

Both lamented their inability to make more inroads in LIV Golf’s initial invitational series season in 2022 and see Friday’s opener as a good start to a new year.

Casey, 45, won 15 times on the European Tour, including a victory in Dubai in 2021. Kokrak won the Houston Open in 2021.

“I’ve been striking it well,’’ Casey said. “I haven’t played as much golf as I probably would to this point. I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that we had an offseason. I took full advantage of it. My ball-striking is always my strength, my forte. Ball-striking was good coming in, played some practice rounds with Byrson (DeChambeau).

“In fact at various times we’ve played as team this week. But the putting was not very good the first three days being on-site and even in the pro-am yesterday. My putting wasn’t very good and I worked with Johnny Long Socks (McLaren, his caddie) and putted much better.’’

Casey overcame a double bogey and made eight birdies. Kokrak, 37, had six birdies and no bogeys.

“For me personally, I don't think it went overly well,’’ Kokrak said of last season. “I was not in great form. I wasn't bad, but I thought I could have done a lot better. I think the team aspect has kind of drawn me into taking care of a couple more things that I probably wouldn't have personally, so I've got myself in the gym, worked on my body in the off-season. Speed is back to where it was maybe five, six years into my PGA Tour career.

“My body feels good. Worked with a couple different guys that work with Team Smash (his LIV team). I hope to continue the good form. ‘’

Casey and Kokrak are two shots ahead of three players – Talor Gooch, Peter Uihlein and Carlos Ortiz, one of two Mexican players in the field along with Abraham Ancer.

Dustin Johnson, Ian Poulter, Branden Grace, Charles Howell III and Marc Leishman were another shot back with 68s.

Casey’s Crushers team with Howell and Anirban Lahiri lead at -10. Smash GC, with Kokrak, Matthew Wolff and Brooks Koepka, are three back at -7 along with the 4Aces, led by Johnson, Uihlein and Pat Perez.

LIV Golf is pushing the team aspect more this year and all of the four-man teams that comprise the 48-player field. The franchise model is a long-term vision for the league to grow the teams and build brand equity in hopes that they will be bought by new team owners.

The individual purse for the event is $20 million, with $ 4 million going to the winner. There is a $5 million prize purse that goes to the top three teams, with the winning squad getting $3 million, $1.5 million for second and $500,000 for third.