Joaquin Niemann sent a warning shot across the LIV Golf bows on Saturday, tearing the Golf Club at Caves Valley apart with a scorching 9-under-par 62 to seize the solo lead after Round 1 of LIV Golf New York. The Chilean's round was pure putting dominance, as he holed a combined 128 feet of putts - including a jaw-dropping 38-footer for birdie on the 17th - to surge past a loaded leaderboard featuring Jon Rahm and Louis Oosthuizen.
The numbers behind Niemann's masterpiece are staggering. He needed just 22 putts total, gaining an eye-popping +3.42 strokes on the greens - the best mark of the entire field. But it wasn't just the flat stick doing the heavy lifting. Niemann hit 12 of 14 fairways (85.7%) and stuffed 16 of 18 greens in regulation, giving himself look after look at a soft, receptive Caves Valley setup. With mild temps hovering around 68°F and light winds at just 6 - 8 mph, the course was there for the taking, and Niemann grabbed it with both hands.
📊 128 feet of putts holed in Round 1 - The longest single make? A 38-footer on the 17th that had the gallery roaring.
"I've been working on my setup with my coach, just staying still over the ball. Today everything dropped," Niemann said in his post-round press conference, grinning ear to ear. "The putts are going in." He confirmed he'll stick with his trusty Odyssey Toulon Design Las Vegas putter for Round 2 - and honestly, why would he even think about changing anything after a display like that?
Rahm, Oosthuizen Give Chase as Fireballs Lead Team Race
While Niemann owns the individual spotlight, the leaderboard behind him is absolutely stacked. Louis Oosthuizen and Jon Rahm both fired matching 8-under 63s to sit one back, setting up a blockbuster final group for Sunday's second round. Sergio García isn't far off either, posting a 7-under 64 to keep himself squarely in the mix.
The team competition tells an equally compelling story. Niemann's Torque GC finished Day 1 in second place at 17-under, but they're trailing Fireballs GC - led by that man García - by two strokes. Torque got crucial contributions from Mito Pereira (68) and Sebastián Muñoz (67), but make no mistake: this is Niemann's team to carry. The individual race feels like it's shifting, too. Niemann entered the week ranked 3rd in the season standings with 146.22 points, chasing down García (2nd, 152.10) and Rahm (1st, 178.44). A win this week would vault him past García into second - and with a Sunday charge, who knows what could happen to that gap at the top?
| Position | Player | Score | Round 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joaquin Niemann | -9 | 62 |
| T2 | Louis Oosthuizen | -8 | 63 |
| T2 | Jon Rahm | -8 | 63 |
| 4 | Sergio García | -7 | 64 |
| 5 | Brooks Koepka | -6 | 65 |
| Position | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jon Rahm | 178.44 |
| 2 | Sergio García | 152.10 |
| 3 | Joaquin Niemann | 146.22 |
The sportsbooks have already reacted. DraftKings moved Niemann's outright win odds from +1200 pre-tournament to +275 after Round 1, making him the co-favorite alongside Rahm. The market is clearly buying what Niemann is selling. And with his fourth round of 62 or better this LIV season - following similar explosions in Singapore, Houston, and Valderrama - it's easy to see why. He's averaging a tour-best 4.82 birdies per round in 2026, and that number feels very much on-brand after Saturday's 10-birdie barrage.
