Carlos Ortiz and Adrian Meronk gave the LIV Golf contingent its sharpest start at the BMW International Open on Thursday, each opening with a 5-under 67 at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried in Munich, Germany. Ortiz was tied for 12th after the first round and sat two shots off the lead.
That matters because 10 LIV Golf stars are in the field this week at one of the DP World Tour's more prominent stops, and the opening day spread showed how quickly the event could split into contenders and chasers. Joaquin Niemann and Sebastion Munoz followed with 4-under 68s, Josele Ballester posted a 3-under 69, Abraham Ancer carded a 2-under 70 and Sergio Garcia opened with a 1-under 71.
Golfclub Munchen Eichenried is not handing out low scores by accident. The par 72 layout plays to 7,284 yards, with water in play on 10 holes, two half-island greens and 90 bunkers, a setup that rewards players who stay sharp from tee to green and keep the putter working on the slower surfaces. That made Ortiz and Meronk's 67s stand out even more.
Garcia brought a different kind of intrigue to the round. He has twice finished runner-up at the BMW International Open and called it one of his favorite events, even as he arrived with Open qualifying on Tuesday at West Lancashire already on his schedule. That means he is trying to juggle one of his most familiar DP World Tour events with another route into major championship golf almost immediately after.
The first round left Ortiz and Meronk just a step behind the pace, but it also put the rest of the LIV group under pressure to close ground on Friday. If the opening day is any guide, the players most likely to matter over the weekend will be the ones who can keep Munich's narrow scoring margins from turning into a bigger gap.
