American stars Bryson DeChambeau and Charles Howell III surged to the top of the leaderboard after superb opening rounds of eight-under-par. Howell was clinical, carding a flawless round with eight birdies, while DeChambeau lit up the course with nine birdies offset by just a single dropped shot.

Hot on their heels at seven-under is a chasing pack that includes Sergio García and South Africa’s own Branden Grace, who had the home crowd buzzing with a composed and polished display.

Pre-tournament favourite Jon Rahm also made a solid start, signing for a six-under-par round to stay well within striking distance heading into day two.

The biggest talking point, though, was the performance of the South African contingent. The home team, the “Southern Guards” – featuring Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Dean Burmester, and Grace – surged to the top of the team standings at an impressive 18-under-par.

Their strong showing sparked a proudly South African atmosphere, with fans turning out in numbers and bringing plenty of gees to the fairways. With Majors winners and national favourites in the mix, the occasion clearly meant a great deal – several players describing it as one of the most special experiences of their careers.

Charl Schwartzel was in a tie for fifth after round one on six-under-par. Photo: Pedro Salado/LIV Golf

Adding even more intrigue was the return of Phil Mickelson, who made his first LIV Golf appearance of the 2026 season after a time away for family reasons. His comeback adds another layer of star power to an already stacked field and will be closely watched as the weekend unfolds.

With low scoring, a packed leaderboard, and local stars rising to the occasion, round one has set the tone for a cracking weekend in Johannesburg.

As play heads into round two, the spotlight will be on whether DeChambeau and Howell can hold their nerve at the top, or if the chasing pack – led by a fired-up South African contingent – can make their move and close the gap on home soil.

Round two tees off at 10:05 on Friday morning.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek sm