Patrick Reed of 4Aces GC leads LIV Golf Miami by two shots following round one. (Photo by Mike Stobe/LIV Golf)
Patrick Reed shot a 5-under 67 to take a two-shot lead in the first round of LIV Golf Miami at Trump National Doral on Friday. Despite ending with a double bogey on the par-3 ninth hole, Reed’s performance stood out under tough conditions, making him the only player to remain bogey-free through 17 holes. His closest competitors, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Dustin Johnson, all shot 69. Reed’s five-shot lead dwindled after his final hole mishap, but he remained optimistic about his play. “I know how hard this place can get,” he said, referring to the challenging course known as the Blue Monster. Mickelson praised Reed’s round, noting the difficulty of the scoring conditions compared to past tournaments.
The team leaderboard saw Crushers GC leading at 2 under par, followed by Reed’s 4Aces GC at even par and Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs GC at 5 over. The round was marked by high scores, with many players struggling; individual points leader Joaquin Niemann shot a 78. Reigning champions Crushers and 4Aces are positioned for a possible showdown as they lead the team competition. Reed is aiming for his first individual title in LIV Golf, which would boost his momentum heading into the Masters next week.
Team Scores:
1. Crushers GC -2 (DeChambeau 69, Casey 72, Lahiri 72, Howell III 73)
2. 4Aces GC E (Reed 67, Johnson 69, Varner III 72, Pieters 80)
3. Fireballs GC +5 (Garcia 70, Masaveu 72, Ancer 74, Puig 77)
Mickelson made headlines with a strong 69, marking a positive turn in his season. Jon Rahm’s streak of 21 consecutive rounds under par came to an end with a 1-over 73. The challenging conditions saw no birdies on the ninth or 11th holes, while the par-4 18th hole proved the toughest with the highest stroke average.
4Aces GC Captain Dustin Johnson is two shots back following round one of LIV Golf Miami. (Photo by LIV Golf) 
HyFlyers GC Captain Phil Mickelson is tied-second following round one of LIV Golf Miami. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/LIV Golf)