Joaquin Niemann enters LIV Golf record books by shooting 12-under 59 at Mayakoba - “I played amazing golf”

Joaquin Niemann started the 2024 LIV Golf season with a bang on Friday as he fired a 12-under 59 in the first round of the Mayakoba event.

His first-round 59 is the second-best single-round score in the Saudi-backed circuit. Last year, Bryson DeChambeau fired a 12-under 58 in Greenbrier, setting the record for the lowest single-round score in the league.

Teeing off from the second hole, Niemann sank ten birdies and an eagle in the first round of LIV Golf Mayakoba and was five strokes ahead of Patrick Reed, who carded 7-under 64.

Speaking at the post-round interview on Thursday, Niemann said the fairways were tighter than before, the rough was much thicker, and the course was a little longer, which made the game a bit trickier.

He was quoted as saying, via Golfweek:

"But man, I played amazing golf. Whenever I was hitting the ball, sometimes I was getting good lies, good bounces into the fairways, good numbers, so everything came out pretty good during the whole day.

"I think I hit a great shot on No. 10. It’s always a tricky hole, No. 10, especially with that pin on the left. You don’t want to miss it left. But then on the right, you’ve got the water, and I was able to have a good number. Hit a great 7-iron to like three, four feet, and I think that was the best shot of the day for me."

Niemann is still winless on LIV Golf but recently claimed the Australian Open on the DP World Tour.

Sergio Garcia shot 65 and was in the solo third. Jon Rahm fired 5-under 66 in his debut round on the LIV Golf and was tied for fourth alongside Laurie Canter and Richard Bland.

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When will Joaquin Niemann tee off at the LIV Golf Mayakoba, round 2?

Joaquin Niemann is grouped with Sergio Garcia and Patrick Reed for the second round of LIV Golf Mayakoba. The trio will tee off at 12:45 pm (local time) on Saturday, February 3, from the first hole.

Here are the groups for the second round of LIV Golf Mayakoba:

Group 1: Hole 1

• S Garcia
• P Reed
• J Niemann

Group 2: Hole 2

• R Bland
• L Canter
• J Rahm

Group 3: Hole 3

• S Muñoz
• D Burmester
• D Johnson

Group 4: Hole 4

• K Samooja
• M Leishman
• C Howell III

Group 5: Hole 18

• C Smith
• B Koepka
• C Tringale

Group 6: Hole 17

• C Schwartzel
• S Vincent
• B Watson

Group 7: Hole 16

• B DeChambeau
• L Oosthuizen
• P Casey

Group 8: Hole 5

• L Herbert
• K Na
• M Kaymer

Group 9: Hole 6

• H Stenson
• D Lee
• H Swafford

Group 10: Hole 7

• A Lahiri
• J Kozuma
• C Surratt

Group 11: Hole 8

• T Gooch
• S Horsfield
• G McDowell

Group 12: Hole 9:

• A Ogletree
• T Pieters
• D Puig

Group 13: Hole 10

• Ancer
• T Hatton
• M Wolff

Group 14: Hole 11

• J Kokrak
• M Jones
• K Vincent

Group 15: Hole 12

• M Pereira
• E Chacarra
• P Mickelson

Group 16: Hole 13

• I Poulter
• H Varner III
• B Grace

Group 17: Hole 14

• L Westwood
• P Perez
• B Steele

Group 18: Hole 15

• P Uihlein
• C Ortiz
• A Meronk