South Africa Round 1

The opening round belonged to the Crushers GC duo of Bryson DeChambeau and Charles Howell III, who both carded clinical 8-under 63s to share the individual lead. Howell III produced a bogey-free masterclass, leading the field in putting, while DeChambeau ignited his round late with four birdies in his final six holes.

Despite their individual brilliance, they couldn't stop the local favorites, Southern Guards GC, from seizing the lead in the team competition with a collective 18-under par. The South African quartet was propelled by a resurgent Branden Grace, whose 7-under 64 included a spectacular eagle to start his final nine.

Sergio Garcia matched Grace's 64 to sit in a tie for third, while marquee names Jon Rahm and Talor Gooch remained in the hunt at 6-under. The day was marked by emotional scenes as over 20,000 fans welcomed the league to South Africa, providing what Dean Burmester described as the "pinnacle" of his career.

At the other end of the leaderboard, Phil Mickelson struggled in his 2026 season debut, carding a 4-over 75 after missing the early events due to family matters.