LIV Golf Dallas Round 1: Patrick Reed and Harold Varner III Put 4Aces GC on Top of Both Boards

Two teammates, one tie, and a leaderboard that looked like a 4Aces GC family photo. Patrick Reed and Harold Varner III each signed for 5-under 67 on Friday at Maridoe Golf Club to share the lead after the first round of LIV Golf Dallas, and the pair dragged their team to a six-shot cushion in the team competition.

Jon Rahm sits alone in third at 4 under after a 68, and Abraham Ancer is fourth at 3 under after a 69 that should have been better. Dustin Johnson, Graeme McDowell, Anirban Lahiri, Richard Bland and David Puig are bunched at 2 under. Maridoe, by LIV Golf's account, got tougher as the day wore on, which makes the numbers at the top look sturdier.

The Chip That Started It

Reed's round turned on the 655-yard, par-5 second, where a chip-in eagle put the 2018 Masters champion in red figures early. Birdies followed at the seventh, eighth, 10th and 12th, and the only stain on the card came at the par-4 18th, where a missed green to the left and a failed up and down cost a shot.

The best shot Reed hit might not have counted. Varner singled out a pitch from an awkward lie about 30 yards from the pin on the par-5 13th that finished four feet away. Reed missed the putt, but Varner still predicted nobody would hit a better shot on this course all week.

Reed's message for Saturday was simple. "The biggest thing is keep the throttle down," Reed said, adding that the team should start the second round as if everyone were even par.

Varner Finally Gets the Putts

Varner's 67 was the steadiest round in the field. Varner was the only player bogey-free through 17 holes, and the lone dropped shot came on the par-4 ninth, the final hole of the day, after an awkward lie off the tee led to a three-putt. It was still Varner's best round of the season relative to par.

Varner's own explanation was refreshingly low on mystery: the ball-striking has been there all year, and the putts finally fell. Asked about the mood inside the 4Aces camp, Varner said the team was having a lot of fun. "Maybe too much fun," Varner added.

Rahm Lurks, Ancer Stumbles

Rahm got there without much help off the tee. The Legion XIII captain hit only five fairways, leaned on the irons and holed out for eagle at the drivable par-4 sixth. Four birdies and two bogeys filled out a 68 that leaves Rahm one back and in the final group with the two 4Aces leaders on Saturday.

Ancer had the most birdies of anybody, seven of them, and shared the lead deep into the round. Then the Fireballs GC star made double bogey on the final hole of the round, a par 3, and slid to 69. "Just felt like I just lost a little bit of concentration on that par 3," Ancer said, while insisting the rest of the round felt great.

Johnson provided the opening fireworks for 4Aces with a chip-in birdie and a chip-in eagle on the first two holes of the round before settling for a 70.

4Aces Take Command of the Team Race

Under this season's format, all four scores count every round, and 4Aces made the math look easy for most of the day. Reed's 67, Varner's 67 and Johnson's 70 offset a 75 from Thomas Pieters, and the team sits at 9 under. Crushers GC is second at 3 under and was the only team with all four players at par or better: Lahiri shot 70, Paul Casey 71, and Bryson DeChambeau and Charles Howell III each posted 72.

Legion XIII is third at even par behind Rahm's 68 and a 71 from Tom McKibbin, with Tyrrell Hatton and Caleb Surratt both struggling to 74 and 75. Fireballs GC is fourth at 2 over, and Stinger GC is fifth at 3 over.

The gap matters. 4Aces dominated the early years of the league, sweeping four straight regular-season events in 2022 and the Team Championship that fall, but has not won a team title since 2023. Crushers, meanwhile, is playing a home game. DeChambeau lives in Dallas and played college golf at SMU, though the captain's 72 was the team's worst score.

Rough Day at the Bottom

The biggest surprise came from the season-long points leader. Joaquin Niemann, fresh off a win at LIV Golf Virginia, made a 10 on the par-5 seventh and shot 78, and Torque GC finished last in the team standings at 17 over.

Brooks Koepka's day was worse. Per the AP, the Smash GC captain smashed a tee marker with a driver on the ninth hole and withdrew during the round because of illness. Smash sits 11th at 15 over, with McDowell's 70 the only real positive. Phil Mickelson shot 77, and Cameron Smith's Ripper GC is 12th at 16 over after all four players posted 75 or worse.

Saturday's Setup

The final group off the first tee on Saturday is Reed, Varner and Rahm, which gives the second round a clean storyline: two teammates chasing the same trophy and a former Masters champion trying to break up the party. 4Aces carry a six-shot lead into a day when Maridoe showed it can bite back late, and with only 36 holes left, any team or player who wants in has to move now.

For context on Reed's form this season, Reed also held the first-round lead at LIV Golf Miami in April. Full first-round scoring is in the LIV Golf Round 1 recap (opens in a new tab).

Sources: LIV Golf (Round 1 recap), the Associated Press via FOX Sports, Golf Magic, Arab News. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: LIV Golf.