LIV Golf Virginia Round 1: Lucas Herbert Shakes Off the Flu for a 64 and a Two-Shot Lead

Lucas Herbert showed up at Trump National fresh off a bout of illness, with a sore back, nine holes of practice and no idea what half the golf course looked like. He left Thursday with the lead.

The Ripper GC Australian shot an 8-under 64 in the first round of LIV Golf Virginia to sit two clear of a four-man pack at 6 under: Tyrrell Hatton, Sergio Garcia, Sebastián Muñoz and his own teammate Marc Leishman. Graeme McDowell is alone in sixth at 5 under after a 67 in OKGC's first official start under its new name, and Ripper leads the team race at 15 under, four ahead of Legion XIII.

Low Expectations, Low Number

Herbert spent the early part of the week sick, which cost him most of his preparation. He got around only nine holes before the event, and the front nine was a mystery until he walked onto it Thursday. "I don't know that my expectations could have been any lower than what they were today," Herbert said, per LIV Golf. He leaned on caddie Nick Pugh for the course management and hit the shots he was told to hit.

It worked from the start. Herbert opened on the 15th in LIV's shotgun format and birdied the 16th and 17th. At the par-5 2nd, a hole he was seeing for the first time, he reached the green in two and rolled in a 15-foot eagle putt. Then came the stretch that built the lead: five birdies in six holes from the 6th through the 11th. Seven birdies and an eagle, against a single dropped shot, added up to 64.

It is the first time Herbert has led after any round in his LIV career, his lowest opening round in the league and tied for the second-lowest round he has posted on LIV. In his third season, the 30-year-old is still chasing a first individual title.

The Chase Pack

Hatton's 66 came with a new putter in the bag, replacing one he had used since 2024. The Ryder Cup veteran arrived in form, with top-5 finishes in the last two worldwide starts, including a tie for third at the Masters.

Garcia played the par 5s in 5 under, matching his best par-5 round in the league, and he did it on an emotional day. Thursday marked the 15th anniversary of Seve Ballesteros' death, and Fireballs GC wore white and navy with a Seve logo on the collar. Garcia said the tribute gave him an extra jolt of inspiration.

Muñoz, who has struggled since two early-season top 10s, said he reminded himself he did not need to force anything. Leishman, who lives in Virginia, posted a 66 close to home and suggested firm, difficult layouts suit the Ripper style.

OKGC Makes Its Entrance

The rebrand from Smash GC became official this week, and McDowell gave the new name an early headline. McDowell hit 13 of 14 fairways, the best accuracy mark in the field, and signed for a 67 that sits alone in sixth.

The rest of the debut was messier. Talor Gooch hit 17 of 18 greens and still shot 72, Jason Kokrak posted 73 and Harold Varner III struggled to a 77 that included an eagle, four bogeys and two double bogeys. OKGC led the field in greens hit and finished last in putting, which is the kind of split that produces a 1-over team total.

Big Names, Slow Starts

Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, each a two-time winner this season, both opened with 69 and sit five back. DeChambeau, back from a wrist injury and fresh off back-to-back wins in Singapore and South Africa, bogeyed two of the first three holes before steadying. Rahm, the Hong Kong champion, holed a 48-foot birdie putt at the 5th, the longest make of the season for the Spaniard.

The group at 4 under includes Anthony Kim, Victor Perez, Dean Burmester, who made eagles at the 12th and 16th, and Jeongwoo Ham, the wild card who birdied four straight on his closing nine in his league debut. Trump National did not hand out freebies: not one player in the 57-player field went bogey-free.

All of it unfolded under a bigger cloud: Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund will stop funding LIV Golf after this season, per the AP.

Ripper Sets the Team Pace

Under this season's format, all four scores count every round and the lowest 72-hole total wins, so one bad card hurts. Ripper had none. Herbert's 64 and Leishman's 66 carried the load, Elvis Smylie added 71 and captain Cameron Smith shot 72 for a 15-under total. It is the club's first first-round lead since Mexico City a year ago, and Ripper already sits on top of the season-long team standings.

Legion XIII is second at 11 under behind Hatton's 66, Rahm's 69, Tom McKibbin's 70 and Caleb Surratt's 72. Torque GC is third at 9 under, led by Muñoz, with Cleeks GC fourth at 8 under. 4Aces GC and Southern Guards GC share fifth at 7 under.

What's on the Line

The top three players in the season-long individual standings who are not already exempt earn a U.S. Open spot after Virginia, and Herbert, who is not in next week's PGA Championship field, would climb into that position with a win. He admitted the math crossed his mind for about two seconds before he pushed it away.

Sixty-three holes remain, and Herbert still has a front nine he has now seen exactly once. Friday will show whether the easy, nothing-to-lose rhythm holds up when there is something to lose.

Full first-round numbers are in the LIV Golf Round 1 recap (opens in a new tab).

Sources: LIV Golf (Round 1 recap), the AP, Reuters via Arab News, Golf News Net. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: LIV Golf.